Tough
by ArcGreen
Summary: She's being shipped out to good 'ole Land of Sand, and there's not a single thing she can do about it. Gaara x Ino
1. Chapter 1

Her mind barely registered the harsh cutting wind blow sand across her bare stomach and limbs. Dull eyes the color of the never ending sky took in the vast land in front of her. Mountain sized dunes of sand were going as far as the eye could see, exaggerated by the heat waves rising up from the ground and distorting her vision. The sun was an overwhelming orb of brightness, creating rivers of sweat that ran down her neck and forehead.

"I hate the sun."

The response came in the form of a throaty chuckle from the woman next to her. Ino glance over with poorly veiled envy, taking in the perky quad of ponytails and dry skin of the tall broad kunoichi.

Bitch didn't have a single bead of perspiration.

"How do you do it?"

It was a whine and she didn't care, why the hell did Tsunade think she was the one for this mission? Sure Sakura was overloaded with all the main hospital duties and the whole Sasuke trauma and she was the next one in command when the Hokage, Shizune and Billboard Brow were gone.

But she hated the damn heat.

"I've lived here my whole life, I'm use to it."

Feeling yet another strong wave of defeat, Ino didn't hide the resignation on her face as she frowned unhappily at the smiling Temari. The ninja had been sent to Konoha to ask for a highly skilled medical ninja that could fill in the unexpected gap that one of their lead surgeons made. Stupid fool had to go and have a fatal heart attack where no one would find him till days later.

Now Ino was stuck here for who-knows-how long until they could find or train a replacement.

Sighing again, she reached down to pick up the two meagerly packed backpacks that she brought. After being assigned (unwillingly) she had been informed that her wardrobe would be useless in the disgustingly hot climate and that she'd be given a budget to replace her clothing while staying there.

"You'll get use to it Ino, don't be such a downer."

The blonde found herself smiling blandly at her newly acquired friend, Temari was a cool woman to be around; independent, sassy, strong, ruthless, opinionated and still sensitive. She was the only thread that Ino had in the new and extremely foreign land that she'd be living in.

"Maybe but I doubt it Temari, I'm just not into sweat."

Temari just laughed again as they started forward, the big dome like buildings growing larger as they walked closer.

"You will acclimate I promise, besides being a kunoichi usually means extreme amounts of sweat right?"

Shaking her head in a slow motion she answered.

"No, I sweat while training or on an active mission, not when I simply step out the door."

Ignoring the shrug that the ninja gave her, Ino glanced again up at the sky.

"Does the temperature change much? The sun's lowered but not the heat."

Her tone had purposively lost the whiny twang, showing her friend that she had gotten over the recent complaints and was simply acquiring facts. She'd save the pangs of homesickness until she was alone and wouldn't affect anyone else. It wasn't their fault Tsunade was a mean old woman.

"It will drop during the night but the wind won't stop, it never does."

Nodding absently to show she was still listening, Ino inwardly sighed. She had guessed that much.

"After you meet with the Kazekage, me and Kankuro will show you to your apartment."

Moving her eyes away from the small dots on the horizon, she was assuming they were the gate's guards; she looked at the woman in confusion.

"Are you not allowed to call him by his name, despite being related?"

It was on the line of being too personal, but Ino knew that Temari was a blunt knife with her own thoughts and wouldn't take offense. In fact that the girl threw up a crooked smile before shrugging awkwardly.

"I am allowed, just thought it'd sound more…professional if I called him that to a leaf kunoichi."

That startled her and before she could stop to think, Ino was laughing. It felt good to let loose, having been focused on being miserable the last couple days she had started to feel as if she wasn't going to find anything enjoyable at all in the new place she'd be staying at.

Temari chuckled with her as she waved to the guards.

"Oh that did sound very professional..and weird."

Then she paused in front of the gates, a new thought occurring coming to her as she looked at Temari's back, waiting for the girl to stop and look over her shoulder quizzically.

"What Ino?"

She pushed away the newly bundled nerves to the back of her mind, keeping her voice even and cool.

"What do I call you in front of him? Do I call him Kazekage or.."

"Gaara is fine."

The new voice came from the shadows of the wall, sending her nerves flying out of the coop as she slowly turned to face the speaker.

"Kazekage I didn't know you were there."

Suddenly remembering her manners, she bowed respectfully towards the tall redhead, taking in the obvious growth spurt. He was tall, though not as tall as his siblings, nor was he as broad as them both. He had remained more on the narrow side, developing lean lithe muscles instead of bulk like his brother who slouched by him.

"Gaara."

Straightening up she looked straight into his eyes, absently admiring the pretty jade color that looked like it had darker flecks among them.

"Alright, then call me Ino, please."

He nodded as they took a moment to measure the other up. It had been a few years since he had last seen the blonde and was not surprised that she had grown prettier. The shiny locks she had ruthlessly cut during the exam had grown back, swinging low by her hips in the ponytail she customarily wore.

Glancing down quickly, he also took note that her dark purple outfit hadn't changed either all that was absent were the form tight bindings that she must have lost long ago; revealing tones limbs that were tanned lightly, showing off distinctly feminine muscles. Looking back up he met swirling blue eyes that were daringly staring back without any hint of fear or disgust but with stark intelligence.

She didn't look afraid at all.

"Yeah I'm Kankuro, nice to meet you too blondie."

The sarcastic drawl had her breaking the impromptu staring contest. Blinking once, she turned her body towards the tall broad shinobi that had been leaning against the shaded wall of the gate.

And blinked again.

Sakura had briefly described the teen without makeup once when they were talking but it had been a dodgy sketch. Her friend had been too busy trying to draw the fast acting poison out of his body to take in a complete inventory of her patient.

Clearly she had missed much.

He wasn't as outlined as somebody like Sasuke or Neji, lacking the absolute beauty that both naturally possessed, but he made up for it with a rough edginess that could easily appeal.

She smiled impulsively at him, receiving an automatic one in return.

"Without the gunk on your face it's a major improvement."

She smiled again in amusement as his expression went blank with surprise. She was serious too; he had eyes that spoke volumes, serious one moment and sparkling mischievously the next. Though, she paused, that did seem to be a family trait. All three siblings could speak sentences with their eyes without ever opening their mouths.

"I don't know if I should label that as bitch comment or a compliment."

Seeing Temari smirk from her peripheral version, Ino figured that Kankuro was the same type; easy to speak outright with.

Stunning him again with another genuine bright smile, she waved a nonchalant hand.

"Definite compliment."

Seeing a speculative light begin to shine in his oak colored eyes, she turned to face the red head. That was one road she did not want to travel while staying here.

"I didn't know you were meeting us here."

It was an opening really, she was throwing the conversation control out in the middle for someone else to grab. Usually she didn't mind carrying the weight of social necessities but the week had been long; all she wanted to do now was wash and rest.

"Yeah Gaara what's up?"

Seeing the weary look pass on the blonde's face, Temari easily took hold of the situation.

"I wanted to meet her."

That was all, nothing further to add, she almost sighed out loud at the lack of elaboration from her youngest brother. It was habit that nothing would ever get him to break and she would be satisfied after all; he wasn't spouting out sand coffin funerals at every irritation at least.

"We just got the message actually so we decided to skip out of some gay meetings and meet you at here."

Ino watched intrigued as the tall blonde growled menacing at her brothers.

"You. Guys. Skipped!"

It wasn't so much a shout as a series of throaty snarls that sent the gate guards stepping several feet back. In fact, she resisted the urge to do so also, too busy watching the amusement on Kankuro's face and the blank slate of the Kazekage.

"Oi! You only think you can get away with yelling at us because you got out of it easy."

She knew he had won that one when Temari opened her mouth for another set of snarls when she paused before closing it.

"Point for Kankuro?"

The two blinked at Ino as she shrugged with a smile before unconsciously bringing a hand up to wipe the pouring sweat from her forehead. It was so fucking hot!

"Let's go."

It wasn't a statement but a quiet command from the sand leader. She watched as he didn't even wait to see if it was followed, he just turned and began walking slowly back inside the city's limits.

The two other siblings exchanged glances before Temari ushered her through, leaving Kankuro to take up the rear. Looking over her shoulder as she walked, Ino glared at the tall man, taking in the casual long sleeve and pants.

"How the hell do you people wear so much clothing in this weather?"

She knew she had mentally promised herself not to complain, but everything but her most outer layers were soaked through with salty sweat and it didn't help that she had been forced to greet her host looking like she had just been drown then drugged through dirt, or sand.

"We live here."

She frowned at the answer.

"No shit."

Ignoring the deep chuckle from behind her, Ino turned to watch the red head as he led the way through the streets.

And observed.

"Why do they do that?"

She hadn't meant to whisper it out loud but the reserved look on Temari's face told her that it wasn't unnoticed. As Gaara walked ahead towards people there were two different types of reactions; those who waved or said some kind of greeting and those who abruptly turned away.

"Complicated."

It hadn't come from next to her, but right behind her where Kankuro was. It was a tone that Ino knew well enough; the tone used when there was a delicate line about to be crossed.

Without acknowledging the subject, she spoke.

"So where am I staying exactly? And the tour of the hospital?"

The truth was that she hadn't gotten a lot of information from anyone back home about the details of the Sand village, just the basics of her mission and small details. Seeing the large buildings about her, mostly made of clay or stone, she felt oppressed. Where were the billowing branches of trees? Quiet breezes and tinkling of creeks?

Back home.

"We've set up a place in the main house, that's where we stay."

"So you can kill me if the need arises? Or to make sure I don't kill anyone?"

Temari shrugged at the raised eyebrow she sent towards her. As if saying that it wasn't her doing. Ino didn't bother pointing out that arrangements were usually handled by the Kazekage's suggestions, the girl's brother.

"I won't be giving you the tour actually; I have to check in with the council after I settle you in."

Nodding with understanding, Ino took another long look around her before casually asking.

"Who is going to give me the tour?"

She wasn't scared or nervous really but a little apprehensive at the thought of entering new surroundings without something familiar with her. A childish feeling that she tried to banish.

"Me."

She kept her mouth from falling open when the answer came from ahead of them. Glancing over at Temari, she knew that this wasn't preplanned from the shocked look on her face. She had figured it'd be some genin or Kankuro but Gaara, the Kazekage?

"Please Gaara; I do not want to take too much time out of your schedule. A lower shinobi would be fine."

That's when she knew she made an error.

Thick silence followed her statement; all three siblings had stopped walking. Something she didn't notice until she was a foot away from Gaara.

That's when her mind caught up. Thinking of the citizen's reactions to him and what she knew about his past, she mentally berated herself before speaking.

"It's not because of the fact that you use to host the Shukaku Gaara, I just don't want to intrude on the Kazekage's time."

She knew it was a bold and slightly dangerous statement, but Ino felt like she had to openly put it out there and get it over it. If she had to stay in this god forsaken desert with this lot, she was going to make her opinion known. Turning away from the red head's back she caught the other sibling's eyes, ruthlessly daring them to contradict her next sentence.

"I'm not here to judge you people by your past, okay? I'm here to improve and help in the medical facility. What's done is done, so don't be so uptight about it."

Bringing out a grin, she watched their dumbfounded expressions.

"It won't take much time."

The low gravelly tone had her spinning around. He had turned to face her, his expression still as blank as before. Had he even heard her? Shrugging it off as part of his personality, she nodded in submission.

"Thank you."

…………………………………………………………….

"This is your room."

They had reached the Kazekage tower, or dome, sometime after walking in the heat. When they had reached the entrance, Gaara had merely nodded to them before making his way down a separate hallway.

"Where's he going?"

She hadn't been terribly interested, though her eyes seemed to follow his back on their own accord.

"Don't know Kazekage business probably."

Turning away from the retreating figure, Ino raised an amused brow at the older teen. He was surprisingly easy to get along with, which hadn't been her first impression at her first Chuuin exam years ago. Then, he had been a weird looking, cocky jerk who had puppets and creepy siblings.

"How knowledgeable you are."

He met her teasing with a smirk and shrugged as he turned in the opposite direction of where Gaara went and led the way down a dizzying spiral hallway. Temari had only walked with them halfway before departing to go speak with the council, Ino secretly thought that she just wanted to go shower and clean up but chose to remain quiet as the girl waved before leaving. Kankuro had then replaced the vacated spot by Ino's side and took over the small tour.

Surprisingly Ino was enjoying herself with the puppet shinobi. He was sarcastic and relaxed in his manner, and she found herself bantering playfully with him as they walked through the streets. Gaara had remained in front of them the whole time, and she could only guess that he was listening to their conversation.

"Yeah I'm pretty knowing when it comes to a lot of things."

She laughed lightly at his suggestive wagging of his eyebrows, not bothering to take the bait he was obviously setting up.

"I'm sure, so am I going to be provided with a map to remember how to get here?"

It wasn't that hard to follow, there were no turn offs or loops, just one long ever going curving corridor. The walls on either side of her were lined with door after door of what she had been told were rooms for VIP guests or ambassadors, so right now most were unused.

"You won't get lost, and besides, someone will always help you find your way, just remember which door is yours."

Kankuro smiled pleasantly down at her, she responded with an unladylike snort while wryly responded.

"If most of these are unused why not give me a room that wasn't in the butt crack of this building."

The deep infectious laugh resounded off the walls as they finally stopped in front of a door. Watching him reach out and open the door, Ino felt a shiver of anticipation. This room was going to be her makeshift sanctuary for a while.

"We put you here because the rooms in this area seem to suit you Hidden Leaf ninjas warm blood."

Mockingly glaring at him, she didn't hide the laughter in her voice.

"Warm blood? As oppose to you Sand people's cold blood?"

He only laughed before throwing the door open to reveal her apartment. Stepping inside, Ino intently took in her surroundings. It was spacious but not exaggerated with finery but with simple furnishings. Hearing Kankuro follow her, she glanced back to smile at him before turning around to take in what seemed like a moderately sized living room.

It was plain, the walls matching the color of the sand that seemed to infiltrate everything. There was a small couch against one wall with a side table that held a lamb. Walking in towards a door off to the right, she didn't stop to scan the books and scrolls that lined a small bookcase.

"Not a reader?"

The question was followed by a loud tsking sound that made Ino smile as she opened the door to show the bedroom.

"Oh I am, but it has been put on hold while the Fifth Hokage is making me study extensive scrolls that are about certain surgeries."

The bedroom was the same as the living, except instead of a couch there was a medium sized bed covered by a thin brown blanket and single pillow. Walking towards it, Ino pushed away the disappointment as she tossed the two backpacks before turning back to see an open doorway leading to the bathroom. She spotted the curve of a tub and her mood lightened considerable.

"Surgery, huh? That's pretty intense stuff I hear."

He paused as he caught the look of lust on her face as she tried to inconspicuously peek at the tub and shower unit. Her voice was slightly distracted as she answered and he bit back a smile.

"Yeah, mostly research, actually on possible surgeries on the brain."

Kankuro inwardly raised his brows at that, this chick fixing someone's brain? Weren't doctors supposed to be unattractive and boring? At least in Suna they were, he couldn't even remember if they had any female doctors yet alone kunoichi ones.

Not wanting to keep her from her shower and rest, Kankuro turned and made his way to the bedroom door, grabbing the handle as he spoke.

"Well, shower and rest for now. Later someone will come get you for dinner so don't worry; our host skills are just as good as Konoha."

Finally tearing her eyes away from the temptation of being clean, Ino brought her wide eyes to meet Kankuro's.

"Who will be getting me?"

Seeing him shrug she turned to the bed to start digging in one of her bags.

"I don't know; me, Temari, or possibly Gaara. Don't worry; we won't forget you on purpose, even if you kinda stink."

Glaring at him, Ino took the pillow and threw it at his head. He dodged it easily by closing the door behind him as he left his laughter loud and obnoxious in the quiet rooms. After hearing the front door close, Ino turned to get her bathroom supplies before practically dancing towards her long awaited shower and bath.

The bathroom was a completely white room with a tiny sailor window in the shower stall. Dumping her stuff on the ground, she walked towards the shower, slowly pulling the tie that held her mass of hair out. With a sigh of relief from releasing the tension caused from the tight ponytail, Ino roughly scratched her hands on her scalp. Long hair had its downsides even if she liked it more than having short hair.

With the object of desire in her sights, she quickly began to take her travel worn clothes off with a silly smile on her lips, thinking of hot water and shampoo.

………………………………………………………………………..

The sand swirled around his ankles, like a pet searching for some attention; a habit he hadn't been able to kick after being brought back from the dead. Standing outside on the building's roof, he stared into the sunset.

Why were sunset's so beautiful, but sad?

Gazing at the painted tones of orange and yellows, he felt the tension ease from his shoulders. It had been a long day that consisted mostly of reading; sitting in a chair for hours on end was not something he practiced. Especially when it was in a cramped room with scrolls and books stacked so high that the shelves blocked out the sunlight.

He needed the sun. It was like oxygen, the baron deserts beauty. It called to him, begging him to let the sand take him away, to become part of the terrain. The land wasn't covered with trees or plants, no; it was completely open to the sky. A beautiful desolate land of emptiness.

Of loneliness.

No, he shook his head at that last thought. He was not lonely anymore.

"Gaara!"

He knew without looking who they were; Temari and Kankuro. They probably just got back from checking in with the council and showing the Konoha guest to her room. They always checked on him first thing when they got back from doing anything. Once it was in fear of finding destruction, now, he hoped it was because of something else.

"Do you think she'll do okay here?"

Temari's face appeared beside him as he continued to watch the village. Despite the heavy fan, her back was straight, her eyes quickly accessing his expression. Her emerald eyes were the only ones that could see through the impassive look. Glancing at her, he admired the tan face, with freckles scattered under her eyes and across her nose. His sister really was pretty, when she wasn't yelling.

"The Hokage chose her."

A deep timbre on his other side.

"I think she'll do fine with the other shinobi, she's likeable but hardworking and I bet she can be a bitch when fighting."

Turning his head, he took in the color free face of his brother. He never really understood why he wore it in the first place but never really cared enough to ask.

Facing straight, he felt a small easing in his chest. It always formed when they left and vanished as soon as they made their routine appearance. He never understood what it was he felt until after the fight with Naruto. Now, he knew it was concern.

He was concerned that they wouldn't return to him.

His family.

"I wasn't worried about that; I'm more concerned with how those assholes at the hospital will react to her. Our medics aren't known for being gender open minded."

That last part sounded bitter and he knew why. Temari had spent her whole life training so she can show every close minded, (and in her opinion arrogant) male that Kunoichi's can be good if not better than any shinobi.

Suna wasn't known for its equality for woman and male ninja, the council was still old fashioned. He had been working on a plan to force them to accept more girls into the new academy, maybe even replacing some of the old windbags.

"I'm dealing with it, that's why I'm giving her the tour."

He knew the young woman was going to have an incredibly hard time finding friends on the doctoring staff since they were all males who had been against the idea of a foreign female invading their territory. Which was why he had taken the entire day off to give her the tour so she wouldn't be glared at or ignored.

"That's a good idea, those jerks wouldn't dare do or say anything with you there Gaara."

Kankuro nodded as Temari spoke, showing his approval for the plan. It had taken a few years and some terribly awkward 'family' talks but his baby brother had really changed.

.......................

A/N: I know I haven't finished my other two posted stories, but one is close to being done so I jumped the gun..


	2. Chapter 2

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Ino was happily humming while running a comb through her wavy damp hair. The scent of lemon and flowers tickle her nose as she put down the brush. After she had taken a sinfully long bath, she slipped on a clean purple skirt and a newly bought tank top that added protection to her sand scraped stomach. Now after being properly washed and dressed, she almost felt like this trip wouldn't be such a nightmare after all, though it was still early.

Finished brushing her hair, Ino got off her surprisingly soft bed and began to unpack the rest of her clothes. There were a variety of new styles that she had to buy to accommodate the nasty climate but the color schemes remained true. After each item individually, she folded them before carefully putting them in the small dresser that was across from her bed.

It was a relaxing chore that didn't need much thought process that left her to wonder about whatever popped into her head.

Tsunade hadn't really sent her on a mission, although they all called it that for convenience. What she was on now could be more appropriately described as an arrangement to strengthen the allies; Konoha and Suna. They have been helping each other out since the wind country surrendered completely to the agreement that the fire wanted.

Although, now that she wasn't fighting against it, she saw that Suna was really the only one benefiting from this.

What did the Hokage have up her sneaky little sleeve?

A knock on the door broke Ino out of her thoughts. Carelessly kicking the now empty packs under her bed, she walked to the door smoothing out her shirt and skirt. Checking to make sure her weapons pouch was safely secured on the back of her skirt before opening the door.

"Kazekage, I.."

She trailed off as she took in the powerful presence of the red head, unsure on how to greet him or if he even cared.

"Gaara."

Flushing a little at the reminder, she nodded before taking a step back to grab her shoes. Forcing herself to sound casual and carefree as she answered.

"Yeah, sorry about that, are you here to take me to dinner?"

Adjusting the one scandal she had on, she took a moment to glance up at him through the hair that fell over her shoulders. His arms were crossed across his chest in a manner that suggested it was habit more than anything else; his face wasn't necessarily emotionless so much as it was neutral or blank.

"Yes."

Finished with her other shoe, she straightened up and offered him a small smile while bringing a hand up to push back the wild strands.

"Well, thank you for coming to get me. I'm pretty sure I'd have gotten lost or taken the wrong door and pissed someone off."

He stepped back to give her plenty of space as she turned to shut the door. She looked much better when her hair was down, he decided, it was wavy as it lay down past her hips. The bangs that were only half down usually now framed her entire face, giving her a softer, much more beautiful look.

Something in the dark corners of his mind reached out in lustful yearning but it wasn't to touch her face, no, he knew this kind of desire was old and nondangerous and he closed his eyes absently to take a concentrated moment to push it away.

Little reminders of the monster he used to be.

"No one else is down here."

He re-opened his eyes to see her looking at him with a curious look in her eye. Turning away to avoid any possible questions, he began to walk, speeding up only a little when she reached his side.

"I was informed that you are trying to expand the hospital?"

She watched him nod silently before continuing. Ino could tell he wasn't one to talk needlessly but he intrigued her enough that she tried again.

"I hope the staff here is okay with my being there, I mean, I can get pretty demanding at times."

From the matter-of-fact tone in her voice and the humorous expression on her face Gaara could tell that she wasn't trying to fish for a compliment like some girls but just stating something that might be a concern for him as the Kazekage. He had a feeling that she was the kind of woman who knew what she looked like and didn't need to be reminded with cheesy charm.

He'd have to warn his brother.

"They hate Temari."

Ino frowned at that statement. If they didn't like Temari, with all her feminist pride, they were almost definitely not going to like her. Sure, she wasn't as out-right bitchy as the other girl but she was demanding, harsh, and strict when it came to medical procedures. There was no room to make mistakes when one was dealing with another's life. She had learned that the hard way.

"Well, I guess they will just have to suck it up and deal with me, huh?"

It was a rhetorical question and he glanced at her to see the half-smile on her face as she yet again met his eyes.

This kunoichi, she didn't ever hesitate to meet his stare. It was almost a relief to have someone who was overly aware of his past and yet it didn't stop her from smiling at him and meeting his gaze head on. It also didn't stop her from speaking her opinions and the brief mental image of how the head doctors will act to her assertive attitude was amusing.

Ino watched as his eyes bored into hers before he looked away, but she thought she saw the one side of his mouth lift up for a few seconds. A smile? Happiness bubbled up in her, threatening to burst out when she thought of making him smile.

Surprisingly, Ino felt comfortable with Gaara. He didn't demand anything from her like mindless prattle nor was he trying to shamelessly flirt with her like most men. He just walked with her in silent acknowledgement that she was there and that he was listening.

It was nice.

Letting the comfortable silence linger for a while, Ino finally turned to meet his eyes again, smiling brightly.

"So, who's all going to be at this dinner? It's not formal?"

Gaara watched as a frown twisted her lips when she asked the last part. Looking away again, he answered in his usual gravelly monotone.

"It's not formal; it'll just be my siblings, my advisor and me."

Instantly forgetting the worry of not wearing the appropriate dress code, Ino smiled to herself as she looked ahead to notice that they were at the entrance door.

"Oh good I honestly didn't want a big gathering of strangers tonight, that would have been overwhelming."

Going to the door, Gaara absently pushed through the door and held it while the bubbly blonde walked through; only noticing the small almost shy smile she gave him when she did. He didn't bother to announce where they were going to eat and she didn't seem to want to ask. As if she trusted him to take her where he had said they were going.

It still mystified him when people showed him trust and loyalty, even after the last couple years of hard work to become Kazekage. He still expected people to turn away in fear or disgust at what he use to have inside him, and admittedly some still did, but more people now would wave at him or offer a greeting.

With Ino though, when she spoke he felt the desire to reply, even when she spoke pure self commentary he wanted to say something to her in return. Not that he did, often.

"Thought it would be your kind of style, center attention in a crowd."

Thinking of it now, he wondered if he thought that because she was remotely similar to the person who changed his life.

Naruto.

Not including the blonde hair, blue eyes and generally happy personality, it might have been the way she didn't flinch back from standing by what she felt or said. She wasn't the typical girl, judging people instantly by their looks or past digressions, she even said that she wasn't here to judge them and _told_ them to get over it.

"No, I like being with a small group of friends."

At first he thought he had hurt her feelings, the way she had responded in a subdued voice. Glancing over though, he saw a distant look on her face as she looked ahead into the crowd, as if she was seeing something else.

Not sure how to respond and even more unsure of the uncomfortable feeling he had in his gut, Gaara turned away from the somewhat saddening sight to spot Temari waiting for them outside of their restaurant.

It was a silly notion, thinking of the small bar-like salon as 'theirs' but it had significant meaning to him and his siblings; a place where they had all come to acknowledge each other as loved ones. Something that made it a key spot for them to hide in when they wanted to get away from all of their responsibilities or to just hang out together.

Not that they would ever admit it.

"Didn't think you two would ever make it, what took so fucking long?"

Ino shook herself out of her minor moment of homesickness to look up as Gaara silently brushed by Temari, noting the almost quick embarrassed way the tall woman touched her brother's shoulder as he went by. She quickly spoke up in defense.

"I was slow, my bad."

Following Temari through the door's Ino suppressed the smile that threatened to spread over her mouth. So they really did care about each other. That thought became even more ironic to Ino when she spotted all three of them sitting at a table situated in the back of the building, Kankuro and Gaara on one side while Temari and another older man sat on the other side.

"Hello, sorry we're late, it was my fault."

Deciding to slide on the bench across from Gaara, Ino threw a helpful smile at the brothers before turning to lean over Temari to speak to the man. He was a tall, rough looking shinobi that kept half of his face covered by a white cloth. On any other day, Ino would have taken him as an intimating character but with the Kazekage and co. sitting there; it just didn't seem to have as big of an effect.

"I'm Ino, but you probably memorized everything in my file. Nice to meet you, Baki was it?"

She felt rather then saw everyone blink at her as she spoke so forwardly but choose to ignore it. She knew from experience that it was better to show her confidence before they could pre-judge her skill. It had much better results when the people you were working with saw that you were bitchy rather than meek.

"I see you are just like Temari."

Shrugging at the slightly cold sentence, she turned back determined not to let him get to her and caught green eyes staring at her.

"Na, she's prettier then Temari, at least right now she is."

Breaking the slightly unnerving eye contact with the Suna leader, Ino narrowed her eyes at Kankuro while hiding her relief. Every time she looked into those eyes she got an odd feeling of being measured.

"Watch your mouth or I'll gut you like."

She lifted up the weapons of choice - chopsticks - and snapped them together threateningly while breaking her glare into a smile.

"Oh that's super scary and kinda sexy, Gaara protect me."

Tsking in mock dissatisfaction at the puppet ninjas fake cowered behind his unmoving brother.

"And here I thought you were some big bad ninja."

Smirking at the look Kankuro gave her Ino turned her head away to look at Temari.

"So are the men in the hospital really sexist?"

Instantly she knew that she should have bitten her tongue, when Temari's eyes suddenly got a lot narrower, reminding her of a hawk that just found a tasty fish on the bank of a river. She glanced over at Kankuro to see a small smile on his face as he stared, not at her but at the older man across from him.

"Oh I don't know, Baki are the men here sexist?"

…………………………………………………………………..

* * *

The walk back from dinner was quiet and on Ino's side, uncomfortable.

The dinner had been, interesting, to say the least. After much probing from Temari and a bit from Kankuro, Baki had conceded that women were generally viewed lower than men and that was why kunoichis were only just now becoming equal in numbers with the shinobi.

It had gotten silent after that as Temari simply raised an eyebrow before turning away. Kankuro hadn't thought much of it, casting her an eyebrow and wink before picking up his own chopsticks to fiddle with. She couldn't see Baki's face unless she had wanted to obviously lean forward to look and Gaara had simply closed his eyes.

Luckily the food had come quickly after that, saving her from having to speak again until it was time to leave.

Gaara had once again escorted her, a silent red shadow next to her as they walked towards the main building.

"Um, Kazekage?"

He didn't answer and after a few frustrated seconds she tried again.

"Gaara, I'm sorry if I ruined dinner."

That time all she received was a glance.

Feeling horrible over what had happened she fell into a silent funk, mulling over in her mind the vast differences between her home village and this village. Konoha was a ray of colors and sounds, all splashed together in a sea of constant activity. Suna was the opposite, everything was a shade of brown, there were no trees that covered the sky or rivers to jump into, all there was is sand; plenty of it.

The people were the same. Konoha was full of bright personalities and overwhelming optimism. It didn't matter who or what you were, if you wanted to become a ninja and worked hard enough, then you would become what you dreamed to be.

Suna though, was a darker place, lacking trust. Its people were proud and independent, which struck her as odd as they were all united for one country.

"I think it has always been a….bad subject to bring up."

Snapping out of her thoughts, she glanced over to see him staring ahead with the ever present neutral expression on his face. His words though were what caught her attention. He had sounded unsure, as if he didn't know.

Then she realized that he probably hadn't always known, he probably didn't think much of that type of stuff back then. Feeling even worse now for knowing that she most likely brought up unwelcomed memories, she tried to sound indifferent and casual but failed.

"Well I guess I'll try to remember that, so when is the tour?"

Long gone were the affects of the hot shower and freshening up, Ino could feel the start of a headache behind her left eye as they walked down the hall. Being a politically correct guest wasn't easy and she knew she was going to have to start being more observant towards the culture of these people.

"Tomorrow."

Giving a small nod of her head she tried to keep up the bounce in her step. She had always thought the Sand Siblings weren't hard to figure out; three kids that were put into a tough situation. But now as she was in close proximity, she was beginning to realize that there were many layers of underlying drama.

Drama. Why did it seem to follow her around like a plague?

Feeling relief when they finally reached the door, she hurriedly opened it before turning back to the fiery colored figure standing in the hallway.

"Thank you for walking me back."

When he simply gave a single nod and started turning away, Ino felt her tongue moving on its own accord.

"I apologize again for dinner."

She bit her lip when he paused, but was pleasantly surprised when he simply turned his head back partly to respond.

"I'll be here early."

Without pause, he quickly left her standing in the doorway. Stepping back into the room and locking the door, Ino couldn't keep the silly smile off her lips as she made her way to the bedroom. In a way she was relieved in knowing that Gaara, the Kazekage, was going to be giving her the grand tour tomorrow. It meant that less problems would occur for her and even though she wouldn't openly admit it, she was looking forward to being by him.

So far, out of everyone she's met, the formidable leader was the least demanding from her. He didn't flirt or banter with her, nor did he shoot her chilling glares during dinner. It was nice.

Shivering slightly at the decrease in heat, Ino slowly began peeling off her clothing when a thought froze her in place.

What did 'early' mean exactly?

Racing through a mental file of what she had learned about Gaara, a surfacing fact had her sinking on the bed with a groan.

He wasn't known for sleeping, ever.

Did that mean he'd show up at dawn?

Apprehension slivered down her spine as she tore the rest of her clothes off before sliding underneath the covers. The room was darker then what she was use too, being as the window was shut and curtained. Back home she would have flung it wide so that the clean air of Konoha could waft through as she slept. Here if she had did that she'd no doubt wake up buried in sand that was scraping against the window and walls from the incessant wind.

Damn, did it have to sound so creepy?

Curling onto her side, Ino forced her eyes closed and began bringing up images of home. She focused on the memories of flower scents, Chouji, her father, the clean hospital. She wondered if Shikamaru was actually trying to keep up on his increasing work with the Hokage, or if he simply increased his ways of escape.

Knowing that bum it was the latter.

Hopefully he wouldn't forget to help Chouji with the new jutsu he had been working on, or else he would get a good lecture when she got back. Best friends or not, that Nara always preferred the chance of lazing about on rooftops.

Not noticing the fatigue that was slowing seeping over her, Ino's mind brought up one last picture as she fell into a deep sleep that only the exhausted could achieve.

A young red haired boy kneeling on the ground, screaming in terror as he clutched his face.

Was it a dream? Or had it been something someone told her...

…………………………………………………………………..

* * *

Gaara was bored. It always ended up this way most nights. He's put on the pretense of winding down like everyone else, going to his room and pulling back his covers. That was as far as he went most of the time, except for taking off the large gourd that occupied his back.

Sleep had once been dangerous.

He might not have a demon eating away at him but he still knew what would happened if he succumbed to the exhaustion that ate away at his entire being. Nightmares. Memories. He was never sure which was which, and after endless years he had stopped trying to tell them apart.

It had improved when he had gotten beat by Naruto and was opened to change. It was almost as if all those years before, the two tails had simply had a stronger hold on him because he had been so insecure with what he wanted. Now that he had a strong, firm grasp on his outlook it was as if the monster had submitted – only growling at the miss of so much blood occasional. Now that it was gone, he was left with nothing but old desires that were brought up out of habit instead of actual yearning.

Sleeping had been better, instead of getting a couple of naps like he use too, he now could sleep a few hours before something internally jerked him awake. It wasn't much, but it was something.

So, instead of letting his eyes shut and the memories of the beast have more freedom, he would spend his nights wandering. This passing of the night gave him the time to slowly mull over the day's events, letting him re-absorb everything he saw, heard and learned for a second time.

It was boring.

When the wind wasn't screaming, he'd spend the night outside. Sitting or lying on top of the building, he'd stare up at the sky and let his mind wander. It was usually about trivial matters like council meetings or a specific problem that was happening. Occasionally he'd think about  
Temari or Kankuro, worrying over their futures and happiness.

That's what he wanted them to have the most. Gaara knew how much happiness he had kept them from having, it wasn't easy being totally relaxed when your little brother was an unstable murderer but now that he had control and was more stable he wanted them to experience more of what they lacked. He wanted to give instead of take.

Tonight though, the moon was high and the wind was higher, raging against the circular buildings. The scraping sound of sand grinded against the walls could be heard throughout the entire corridor that he was currently walking down.

Finally taking in his surroundings, Gaara realized that he had been walking down the hall of the guests department.

Stopping in the middle of the hallway he looked around absently. How did he end up coming down this way? That was the problem with Suna's buildings; they themselves were a labyrinth of corridors and rooms. Even after seventeen years of living here he still got lost when there weren't many lights.

Guests huh.

Continuing ahead, he let the only guest enter into his flow of thoughts. Yamanaka Ino. There was no doubt that she was going to put a spin on his medical staff. Those long winded old men were sexist to the extreme and had already kicked up a fuss when they had first heard of her coming.

He just hoped she was as good as Tsunade said.

Of course she was going to be a distraction too. It was obvious that her awkward years had passed without a hitch, leaving behind an ideally beautiful young woman. The younger generation was sure to have attention problems with her, especially if she continued to wear the attire she was use too.

On the whole, she was bound to cause trouble.

Girls.

It wasn't a subject he was remotely experienced in. People of the opposite gender, or any for the matter, have avoided him for the majority of his life. The only female he was use too was Temari and she tried her hardest to not be a girl.

Intimate relationships were not meant for those who harbored blood thirsty demons inside their bodies. It was a recipe for disaster and he was not willing to sacrifice anymore. Now it was just another habit that he was accustomed too.

Still, she must be having a hard time falling asleep. The winds in Konoha were never this loud or harsh, the temperatures were extreme and the people weren't as welcoming. Suna was everything that a girl like Ino would hate.

Turning away from the door he had stopped in front of, Gaara turned and made his way back to his room.

…………………………………………………………….

Ino was freezing her ass off.

Wrapped up in a blanket like a winter sausage, she had woken up to find herself shivering. When did it get so freaking cold? Sitting up in the middle of the small bed, she groggily looked around to find that it was still dark.

"Brrrrrr."

Inching her way out of the bed still securely wrapped in the blanket, she stepped onto the floor, hissing when her feet touched the cold floor and padded towards the small kitchen. It was like the rest of the place; small, simple, and carrying only the necessities.

That was okay though, all she wanted at the moment was something to drink. Surprisingly Ino didn't care much for personal extravagance. She was a kunoichi, a woman who could be killed on any mission.

Her precious items were few; the most she treasured were the memories of her friends and family.

Creaking open the small refrigerator, she sighed at the lack of anything that looked desirable and closed the door.

Heading back towards the bedroom on quick feet, Ino flinched unconsciously at the new volume pitch of wind that slammed against the walls. It was a terrible howling that gave her the chilly willys. Frantically rubbing the soft material to ward off the goose bumps that threatened to erupt on her arms, she jumped back onto the bed and huddled in a corner.

Was it always going to be like this?

Sighing, Ino let her body tip over until her head touched the mattress. Tunelessly humming loudly, she forced her eyes closed and tried to sleep.

What was the hospital going to be like? Was it going to be up-to-date as the one in Konoha? She didn't doubt Suna's abilities but she did feel apprehension about working with people who were anti-woman. Walking along the streets early, she had noticed how most woman were working smaller jobs while most men had all the important jobs.

Thinking of this, Ino's tired mind wandered and she found herself thinking of the three siblings. It was as if they were the brightest stars in this dark village. The ones who broke all the rules and were leading the new generations to a lighter future.

Snorting tiredly at her fancy words, Ino rolled onto her other side.

It was ironic how the three children who had what she heard to be a terribly cruel father, were now the ones most likely to fix the problems that Suna had created. Especially the youngest. It seemed that Gaara had always been forced to carry a large burden on his shoulders. One much larger than any normal humans and most of it was from other people and not himself.

Yawning widely, Ino felt her mind beginning to drift off again, leaving lingering thoughts of burdens and loneliness that seeped into dreams she wouldn't remember.

.......................

* * *

A/N: hum....


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

The wind had finally decided to shut the hell up. Screaming itself into a quiet moan by the early hours of the morning when Ino had finally fallen into a deep sleep. She was currently toasty warm in her cocoon of blanket and did not have a single intention of leaving it anytime soon.

A loud thud from her door had her jumping sleepily before rolling over to continue her REM cycles.

Another louder knock.

Leaping out of bed like an enraged tiger, Ino marched towards the door with intent to kill radiating off her haystack hair and rumpled underwear. Going to the door, she all but ripped it off the hinges to snarl at whoever the poor soul was standing behind it.

"What the fuck do you thin-"

Her throat close immediately as she caught the unflinching stare of jade eyes. Feeling heat flush her entire body in horrified silence, she tried to clear her throat a few times and failed. Glancing behind him to escape the look he was giving her; she caught sight of the morning sun.

"Oh shit! The tour!"

Slamming the door on the Kazekage, Ino flew towards the bedroom to grab a change of clothes before sprinting back to open the door once again.

"I'm so, so, so, sorry Kazekage! I must have overslept! Please come in and wait while I quickly change. I promise I won't take long! I'm so sorry!"

She had simply left the door open while running back towards the bathroom, completely unaware or uncaring of the fact that she was doing all this in only her underwear, leaving Gaara to stare after her.

That was the closer he's even been to a practically naked woman. A well made practically naked woman.

Wearing white underwear.

Not bothering to step into the apartment, he instead retreated to lean against the wall across from her doorway. This position gave him the much needed space and would allow for her to spot him if she was heading back.

Trying to blot out his mind's burning image of her smooth looking skin, and the way its tone started off dark from her toes and slowly lightened the higher his eyes had gone. Her hair had been an impressive mass of knots but that didn't deter from the noticeable shadows under her eyes.

So he guessed correct last night.

"Okay I'm super sorry but now I'm ready."

Bouncing in the doorway, Ino fought back the urge to flush in embarrassment when the leader simply pushed off the wall and began to walk. Really, how stupid could she get? To not set up any alarm for the early morning, how irresponsible of her!

What was worse was she had answered the door like a wild banshee, crazy hair and all. Peeking a glance at him from the side, she wasn't surprised to not be able to catch anything there.

A few more minutes passed before she broke down.

"Gaara, I really do apologize for back there, that wasn't a very good way to show my trustworthiness."

Not to mention her complete lack of light sleeping skill that any ninja should know to always do.

This time she openly glanced at him before slowly continuing, in this case Ino thought that honesty would work the best. She hoped.

"I know it's a terrible excuse but I probably slept in because I couldn't sleep well," Suddenly feeling exposed she added in a much grumpier voice, "who the hell can sleep with that entire racket going on anyway!"

Gaara watched as her face became flushed with either frustration or embarrassment he wasn't sure.

"You'll get use to it."

He watched in slight fascination as her left eye literally twitched at his words.

"I've been hearing that a lot."

The young woman heaved a heavy sigh before instantly perking up. As they walked down the corridor she looked around the place before speaking.

"So what's specifically on the agenda today, Kazekage?"

He blinked at the casual tossing of his title but gamely answered.

"The tour."

Says the man with many words. Ha.

Ino was unimpressed with the meager answer but left it for now. As they reached the outside, she shuddered at the sudden burst of wind.

When Gaara glanced at her all she did was scowl.

"Bllllaaaahhhh."

Scratching at her arms, Ino took in the scenery as she stayed by Gaara's side. The village was busy for so early in the morning, she noted at the bustling of the crowd, it hadn't been this crowded when she arrived.

"Does it become less busy during midday?"

Gaara's nod confirmed her suspicions. So they must go indoors when the sun was at its zenith in order to stay cool. Like freaking reptiles.

"This is the hospital; it's by the greenhouse because of all the medicinal plants."

Following his head jerk, she saw that they were walking towards a medium sized dome. Next to its side was a pretty good sized greenhouse.

She was all business now, mostly.

"Do the residence live in the higher levels?"

When Gaara simply nodded she briefly wondered why he even decided to guide her. He wasn't much of informational use.

As they got closer, Gaara's pace quickened until he was a few steps in front of her. Curious she stayed just behind him as he held the door open for her.

Did he realize that he was even doing that?

Murmuring thanks she entered the brightly lit building and paused. There weren't many artificial lights, not being needed as much since every other foot on the wall was a window.

She felt Gaara pause by her.

"It's been improved."

Giving him a dry smile.

"Should I not gut the first one to offend?"

She held her breathe when a twitch almost curled one side of his mouth, but released it with a small puff of disappointment when it fell back down. Damn, so close!

"I'd rather you not, that'd mean a lot of paperwork for me."

Smiling widely she shrugged as they spotted a tall crusty looking man walking towards them at a leisurely pace. Ino honed in on him as he got closer, taking in the starched work coat and clipboard in one gnarled looking hand.

"Can he even hold a pen?"

Catching her mutter Gaara caught another smile. Was she purposively trying to get him to smile? He had seen the look of anticipation earlier.

"Ah, Kazekage-sama, you're early!"

Ino caught the exclusion of her in the welcome and raised a mental eyebrow. So that's how it was going to be? Fine.

"Hanako, this is the Leaf kunoichi, Yamanaka Ino. This is Suna's head doctor, Hanako Hikaru."

Snort almost snorted at the name, _radiant flower child?_ But was able to control herself to simply nodding to the older man, watching the flash of disapproval when she didn't bow.

Tough shit old man, this girl does not bow.

"Pleasure I'm sure, Yamanka you may simply call me Hanako, everyone else does."

The condescending tone in his voice had her hackles rising but she caught Gaara's glance and settled.

"Thank you, please Ino is fine."

He merely smirked in response as he turned back to Gaara.

"Kazekage, I'm sure you have more important duties to attend too, I can give Ino the tour."

Gaara felt Ino still beside him at the offer but he was already answering.

"I will accompany you."

The man simply nodded and turned away.

Ino let a silent breathe out. She hadn't really been sure if he'd take up the offer but she was glad he didn't. It was times like these when Gaara's overwhelming presence was useful and she figured he knew that too.

As they followed the man, Ino took to memorizing the area.

The hospital wasn't as big as Konoha's but that could easily be used as an advantage rather than disadvantage.

"Are the floors split by seriousness of the case?"

She had spoken to the back in front of her but got a response from the short man by her side.

"Yes, first is emergencies and those who can't handle stairs. Second floor is for semi-serious but capable. Third is recovering and check up. Fourth is residence."

She nodded absently, soaking it all in as she took in the rooms around her. They were heading towards double doors; she figured they were towards the surgery.

"Go walk by him, what you are doing now is submission. I'll be here."

Looking towards Gaara, her eyes widened as he returned the look. Pausing for a second, she hustled ahead when he nodded towards her.

Why did she feel better knowing Gaara was trying to make her comfortable and successful, though it could be just because of her situation? After all, if she was miserable then she wasn't going to perform well she supposed. And it wouldn't do if they didn't learn anything from her.

Steeling her back, she caught up to the doctor.

"How many doctors are on staff?"

She watched as he started at the blunt tone she used. Or was it her sudden appearance at his side? Possibly it might have been the determined-borderline-bitchy expression.

Either way, she was satisfied with his momentarily uncertain expression.

"Currently we have fifteen."

Ino blinked at that. Speaking without thought.

"Is that all, really?"

The man's mouth tightened but he answered.

"Yes, we have a hard time finding people with the skills necessary for the profession."

She nodded seriously at that, it was tough to find someone with precise chakra control. You couldn't have just any old body work with an injury that was beyond the body's exterior layers.

"Nurses? Volunteers? What type of-"

Gaara listened as Ino interrogated the head administrator, fighting the amusement that threatened to break as he watched the pained expression on the older man's face. She really did know what she was talking about, and it was obvious that she was trying her hardest to memorize all the different supplies while also giving him a hard time.

Watching the flow of her hair down her back, Gaara mentally detached himself from the conversation going on ahead and started going over the list of documents he needed to go over before signing. The demands were never ending and he was beginning to realize that he may have to extend his day duties onward into the night just to keep up. How did the Konoha Hokage do it?

The haggard looking assistant came to mind and he allowed himself a moment of jealousy.

"What!"

The mild shout brought him out of his thoughts. Looking ahead he saw the two standing a foot apart, faces in varying stages of anger.

"I am here for surgical and medical use, not for janitorial duties old man!"

He watched as the doctor's face turned a mottled color of purple and green as he shouted back.

"I am the head doctor here and will use the substitute as fit brat!"

Ino growled threatening at the pompous ass before drawing up in a cold manner.

"I am advanced in the newest methods for surgery but if you want to act like this fine," she turned to see Gaara's watching the proceedings, "Kazekage, please allow me to inform my Hokage that I am unneeded."

She hoped he caught on and handled whatever that she threw in his direction and understood the meaning.

He did.

"Hanako, I would be…very displeased if our Konoha guest left Suna with a poor impression of my medical staff."

Ino watched in awe as the slight man's presence literally darkened the room. It was times like these that she had to remember that he used to hold a demon inside of him and was actually dangerous.

What a great card to play for her purposes like this. The thought almost had her smiling, pushing away any fear of the red head.

"O-of course Kazekage, this i-is for our v-village's success."

Turning towards Ino, he gave a quick bow.

"Please allow me to show you the surgery."

He quickly fled through the doors, leaving them to follow at a slower pace.

Gaara caught a look from the blonde.

"What?"

She didn't say anything for a while, just stared at him with a thoughtful tilt to her chin, as if she was measuring him.

She finally spoke when they reached the doors; she paused in front of them and spoke to the wood instead of him.

"It just struck me, you are able to use what people think as an evil power for good. That must feel amazing to turn around and do that. Even if the original content isn't there anymore."

Shocked, he stared at her as she turned to flash him an embarrassed smile, one hand pushing open the door.

"Besides, it must be great to threaten windbags like him!"

Laughing at herself, she went through to find the doctor waiting a closed door.

Gaara stared after her with widen eyes.

"_that must feel amazing to turn around and do that."_

Walking through the doors, the words echoed in his head as he watched the doctor haughtily explain something to her.

What was he feeling? It was a shock to hear someone say that about him.

"Ah Kazekage, I was just explaining to Ino about our children part, I would hope she would become the head for that department while she stayed."

Gaara watched Ino's face tightened into cold mask before straightening out. It caught his attention, did she not like children?

"I would prefer to be able to go between departments if that is okay, I might have useful information for all."

She spoke in earnest but Gaara couldn't shake that look as he nodded his agreement.

The doctor simply sighed, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

Ino beamed at Gaara, who was beginning to feel like he was trapped between a competition that would only end with the death of one opponent.

"Go on."

As they continued, he fought off the growing pain behind his eyes. He had known that this was going to take all day but the way these two fought was ridiculous. They didn't even know each other well enough to fight the way they do.

"This is the actual surgery room, I would show you both in but there is currently a surgery in process."

That caught Ino's attention. Perking up, she wandered over to peer into the room on tiptoes from the small window on the door.

"Oh yeah, what is it?"

She ignored his sigh as she watched a white coat pick something up and turn back to the table, shuddering at the medieval strategy.

"It is open fracture; the ninja in question had fallen off a cliff and shattered his femur. Luckily he missed the major artery…"

Ignoring the man, she shoved the door open and marched into the room, quickly followed by Gaara and Hanako.

"What are you doing! I said you can't enter during a surgery!"

Going to the table and ignoring the surprise operating doctor, she stared down at the open wound, inspecting the technique he was doing and was the damage really was.

Gaara hung back by the door not quite comfortable being in a room where blood was intentionally being spilled, watching intensely as the teenager's face coolly looked down at the body.

Everybody was quiet until she spoke in a detached voice, using a finger to point.

"If you do that to this spot, you will erupt the artery."

Gaara watched as the doctor looked to wherever she was pointing and frown. Ino continued.

"Do you see why? That shard is actually partially imbedded to this tissue, see?"

Her tone was warming up as she pointed to another spot. The doctor looked closer before glancing up at Ino with a surprised look.

"How did you know, I couldn't see it from where you were?"

He watched as Ino absently smile, raising her index finger while calling green colored chakra that resembled a senbon to the stiff digit. She leaned forward with the doctor; explaining it as she worked while he waited with the head doctor at the door.

"She is unorthodox."

Glancing away from the beauty, he caught a displeased look on the man's face as he watched the blonde.

"You know the agreement, she has open clearance. She knows new methods that can help us immensely on and off the battlefield. The _Kazekage_ backs her up."

He stressed the word by lowering his voice, causing the man to jump guiltily as if he had forgotten who he spoke too.

Gaara crossed his arms casually as he turned his eyes back to watch the blonde kindly take over the surgery, speaking to the two other doctors as they worked together. It was obvious that these two were the younger, more recent recruits because their faces only showed interest in what Ino was saying.

Watching her, Gaara's mind echoed the words she had spoken earlier.

……......

* * *

"Man! That was fun!"

Gaara watched as Ino bounced a few steps in front of his slower pace, arms stretched above her head as she rolled her neck.

Glancing up at the sun, he felt the desire to groan when he saw that it was past midday. Was surgery always this long?

"What do ya lizards got to eat in this town?"

Ino grinned as he glanced at her, the nickname had been a spur of the moment thing and she found that she liked it.

"Lizards?"

Inwardly preening at the fact that he took the bait, she turned to walk backwards as she explained to him. It was a safe move since everyone had gone inside during the hottest hour.

Stupid heat.

"I've decided that Suna people are like lizards because they like to: live in hot dry places, cold blooded, and they are non-blinking. Also, I suppose they are pretty deadly."

She ticked them off her fingers as she spoke grinning slyly as he raised his light colored eyebrows at that.

"It could be worse."

His deadpan tone sent her into a giggling fit, huffing and puffing as her hand covered her mouth. Was that all she was going to get out of him?

After she had her fill of laughing, she wiped at her brow as she looked around. It _really_ was hot out here.

"Seriously though, where are we going?"

The red head didn't answer, just continued to walk forward in that slow yet ground eating pace of his; Ino was surprised that she could even keep up. After that little impromptu action earlier, her body was feeling as if it was falling asleep; filling her sides and legs with the needle tingling feeling that was associated with using a lot of chakra.

Instead of pushing the conversation, Ino focused on what she learned today. It was obvious that she was going to have to work for respect – possibly having to literally kick some asses - especially with that old man director, but the other young doctors seemed open enough after they got back passed the shock of her being a woman.

Was this village so last century?

There was also another thought that was haggling at the back of her mind, but she pushed it away for later.

"You ..really enjoy surgery."

Gaara watched as she blinked at his statement. He didn't know why he had mentioned it, except that it seemed she was distracted and for some reason he wanted to keep her attention near him. Besides, she really had seemed to enjoy the surgery and didn't Temari always complain about how he needed to open up more?

"No, not really."

Surprised, he turned to meet her soft smiling face as she looked over to meet his eyes before continuing.

"I just really enjoy helping people. It's rather silly but…there was a time when I couldn't help my teammates, and that was when I realized that even though I have my own family jutsu, I was still weak in the fact that I can't protect them. So I started training to become a medic nin. If I can't keep them safe at least I'll be able to try and keep them alive!"

A long slender hand came up to absently move aside the lock of bangs that always seemed to be covering one eyes, and he had a spontaneous urge to push her hand aside to touch the soft looking hair.

Unfamiliar nerves bundling up in his stomach, Gaara shook the thought by looking away. Not catching the puzzled look that passed over her face.

The awkward moment of them being hyper aware passed slowly until Ino, never liking awkward anything, clutched at her grumbling stomach.

"I'm hunnnngrrrry! And it's hot! My chakra's not use to this!"

Not caring if she was whining, Ino's lips drooped at the no reaction from the man next to her. She wasn't sure what had just happened, one moment she had been shoving her annoying hair aside, and the next her eyes were attracted to his twitched hand.

It was as if she didn't need to be told that he wanted to touch her, cause she already knew, and the thought had her uncomfortable.

Ino hated uncomfortable… and hunger pains.

Upon seeing that they were once again coming to the restaurant that they ate at last night, she threw him an amused looked.

Not much for change huh.

..........

* * *

a/n : the only reason these chapters are being pumped out so quickly is because they were already written lol once I catch up to myself updates will slow..possibly

Reviews are lovely!

*sighs* so some mistakes that are actual mistakes have been fixed.. I appreciate the notes on them but. still.. X_X criticism can be such a terrible writer's block lol!


	4. Chapter 4

...........

* * *

Her second night fared just as badly as the first. Ino had spent the majority of it tossing and turning as the relentless wind howled against the building.

In the morning she had greeted the sun with raccoon eyes and the distinct feeling of becoming a zombie. It was quiet now, and the soundlessness irked her as much as the earlier racket had. Thoughts of playing hooky were vanished though.

She had a job to do, dammit.

And a certain sexist doctor to irritate.

Grinning at the thought, Ino hopped out of bed and padded her way to the bathroom; wondering if Suna even had a public hot spring. If they did, it'd most likely be indoor and fake.

Blah sand, she missed Konoha's leafiness.

Ignoring the darkening bags beneath her eyes, she began a quick refresher with a wet cloth. Not daring to tempt the shower, she doubted she'd leave once she got under the hot spray. Instead, Ino settled for sadly eyeing it while she popped the toothbrush into her mouth.

It was whilst this time that the blonde became aware of the faint knocking at her door.

Do any of these sand lizards sleep in?

Not bothering to take the time to change or take the brush out, she went to the door. If these people insisted on interrupting her morning routine then they would just have to deal with seeing her in all her morning- mess glory.

With that in mind Ino frown grumpily as she opened the door.

The Kazekage got his second eyeful of the Yamanaka in only her underwear.

"You've got a bad habit to break."

Purposefully keeping his eyes at the level of her face, Gaara watched as she spoke around the bright purple toothbrush before answering himself.

"Everyone sleeps in."

Shaking her head and muttering "not everyone sleeps' she once again left the door open as she walked to the bathroom. She was not running late, and be damned if she was going to rush just because of an insomniac red head.

Sensing her sedate speed, Gaara cautiously stepped into the room.

"You've got a habit of answering the door in barely anything."

Rinsing her mouth, Ino shrugged absently before her sleep deprived mind caught up with the fact that he couldn't see it. Pausing to wipe her face, she raised her voice.

"Yeah well, kunoichi get over body consciousness quickly."

Changing into her stiff new outfit, Ino didn't think she needed to explain that the reasons for that were the dirtier missions' women were assigned. They didn't get sent often but enough for girls to be aware of.

Gaara hadn't thought of that, but didn't voice his ignorance.

"So are you like my permanent escort?"

Feeling fresh and ready to go, Ino stepped out of the room to see Gaara studiously staring at the wall in front of him. Watching his impassive face, the blonde briefly wondered if he has ever seen a woman fully naked before forcing the thought out her mind.

Pushing her feet into the sandals by the door, she smiled when he finally met her gaze and answered.

"No, I just happened to be up."

He took the moment to take in her form fitting (purple no less) outfit. It was different than the one he vaguely remembered from her first appearance in the village.

Instead of showing off a sleek bare stomach, it was now covered by a lavender mesh shirt that was overlapped by a cropped shirt with long sleeves (it still managed to conceal yet emphasize her bust). The dark mini skirt was replaced with a replicate that had several inches added and longer slits; letting it flutter around her knees and showing off tone thighs. Black shin protectors completely the informal girl ninja look.

The long hair was once again up in a high ponytail with a section of bang covering her left eye.

"What?"

He took his eyes off the material around her mid thigh and look up to see a bemused expression on her face as she watched him.

"You're outfit is different, but still….purple."

He hadn't meant for the last part to be spoken out loud but didn't bother apologizing. Her outfit _was_ purple; he had a feeling that if it had been on anyone else it would have appeared obnoxious.

Even with it being Ino it was still slightly obnoxious.

His thoughts narrowed in suspicion when the woman in question simply threw her head back and laughed loudly before fixing him with an impish grin.

But when he opened his mouth to ask he was cut off by her vigorous shake of head, her hair whip cording around. He blinked at the index finger wagging in front of his face.

"Ah ah, ask no questions and I won't tell no lies."

Ino grinned as the Suna leader looked at her with the barest hint of puzzlement on his face. So close, so very close. When had it become a goal to get this stoic guy to show his emotions?

She shrugged it off, knowing it was most likely because she needed something to stave off the boredom of being in a country that was completely hard and bare. Did they even have a good boutique?

Ino sighed at the thought of shopping in a town like this, but maybe Temari knew of somewhere good?

"Let's go."

Practically skipping behind the Kazekage, Ino smiled at her good mood. She was determined to make this extended trip good no matter what; besides it seemed that she had at least two – possible three- friends to count on.

Slowing the bounce in her step, she took a good accessing look at the man in front of her. He wasn't necessarily cold anymore but there was still a distance between him and the rest of the village. She was sure.

Having been a part of her family's flower shop she had slowly developed the 'art' of knowing what occupation the customers had by the state of their hands.

Having a family jutsu based on the mind, she had developed a sense of a person's relationship with things that are constantly in that person's life.

Gaara was still distant, even though the Shukaku was gone. Was it because of what happened with the Suna kunoichi Chiyo resurrecting him, or was it because some past pains cannot be forgotten?

Musing over this, Ino let her eyes linger on the surprisingly soft looking hair. It kind of had a personality of its own, as if its movement made up for its owner's lack of expression.

She almost laughed at the ridiculous thought.

Ino wanted to touch it.

The unbidden thought had her smile melting away and eyes moving to look elsewhere. Urges like that were not allowed, were not suppose to pop up with the leader of Suna. And anyway, where the hell had it come from! He won't even smile!

'Hmphing' out loud, her periwinkle eyes glared at the circular windows as she forced her mind onto where they were heading.

Gaara acted as if he didn't feel her gaze at all, or the disparaging sound she made minutes later. He was used to having eyes follow him wherever he went. They use to be glares of fear and hatred before, now they were a mixture of friendliness and fear.

Fear, fear, fear.

It was always part of his existence.

As they reached the outside of the building, he heard a low grumble coming from behind him. Before he could speak a snappy voice spoke very close behind him.

"Well what am I suppose to do! I haven't gone shopping for food yet!"

Ino huffed as Gaara looked at her as he held open the door again. She had only recently stopped severely dieting, after Tsunade had spent three hours screaming at her and Sakura for losing too much weight. The old bat had gone on and on about how fat is just stored when the body is starved and how their chakra would become disruptive if not properly taken care for.

The volume alone had done enough to put a little damper on the two younger kunoichi.

The result was her eating a healthy breakfast and skipping lunch.

Still, she felt bashful after her short outburst towards Gaara, and the feeling only intensified when he didn't respond but continued walking.

Ino hoped it wouldn't mean she had to skip breakfast; it wasn't good for her energy levels and today was going to be her big debut to the hospital staff.

"Gaara! Ino!"

Immersed in her self-wallowing about starving, Ino caught herself from bumping into Gaara with only centimeters between them. Blinking at the up-and-personal distance between her face and his, Ino instinctively swallowed but couldn't bring herself to move.

It felt as if she were a mouse caught in an owl's stare. Prey. Predator. Hunter and unexpected hunted.

Ino shivered as light emerald eyes stared into hers unblinkingly.

"Uuuhh."

She swallowed twice before trying to speak again.

"E-excuse me, Kazekage."

It was almost a relief when he slowly blinked.

A bigger relief when Temari's loud voice broke over them with ear flinching clarity.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Feeling as if she were staring down a dog in a silent dominance contest, Ino carefully lowered her eyes and stepped back. His voice sounded like a whisper in her ear.

"Gaara."

Catching herself nodding a bit fanatically, Ino stopped herself and whirled around to meet the older siblings curious gaze.

The darker blonde eyebrows were raised high as she grinned wickedly at the pair's closeness.

"What's up little brother, getting all cozy with the am-bass-a-dor?"

Gaara frowned as his sister's grin only widened further, as if his response was confirming something humorous.

Then he paused and examined his response. It was a slightly frustrated feeling, and he wondered if it was because she had interrupted them?

That couldn't be right; they weren't doing anything to be interrupted by. She probably hadn't noticed him stop and almost knocked into him; thus the reason for their close proximity. Of course that didn't explain the prolonged lingering of the intimate closeness, he simply hadn't wanted to move and therefore didn't.

He had enjoyed the widening of her bright blue eyes and the way her cheeks became tinted with pink as she took in their position.

Enjoyed?

"Don't be so foul, you're the reason why I almost ran into him. Don't be so loud in the morning."

Temari merely smiled mischievously as they all continued walking. Ino might not have noticed it, but she knew her younger brother enough to have seen the slight changes in his face. And from what she saw, he had liked their little incident.

Smiling at the thought, Temari ignored Ino's scolding as they walked along.

It was amazing if Gaara showed interest in any female. He hadn't been as closed off since he had been resurrected, but he had never been interested in going out. The only way her and Kankuro had gotten him to leave that stupid office was to threaten to burn the place down. He had always been the loner in the corner, sometimes being accompanied by his student Matsuri. And the young kunoichi was like a baby sister, he felt the need to guide and protective (quite viciously too) her.

Big sister though, has decided that it's time for baby brother to get a girlfriend.

The sharp smile softened as she watched Gaara murmur a response to one of the light blonde's questions.

He deserved someone precious before anyone else she knew.

Shaking the thoughts away, Temari focused on what was being said. Time enough for courting ideas later, she'd have to scheme it over with Kankuro. If the idiot wasn't thinking of going after her himself.

"I hope that butthead doesn't give me trouble, I really want to help improve Suna's medics."

Ino watched the unfocused gaze on the taller woman's face before dark emerald eyes met hers. She had noted how the razor smile had gone soft when Temari looked at her brother, and felt warmth fill her at the tender expression.

Painful past or not, they had become a real family since those hard times.

Shikamaru would be happy to see the tough four ponytail girl smile like that. Not that he'd admit it without bodily threats.

"Oh with us at your back you don't have to worry."

Feeling as if the feeling was bubbling over, Ino smiled at them both while laughing lightly.

"I'm so glad!"

She only smiled as they both gave her varying looks of confusion but didn't feel like revealing her thoughts. Gut instinct told her that mentioning her teammate would cause trouble for herself from the blonde and trouble for the blonde from her brother.

Tempting but not quite, it was too early for suicidal remarks.

Luckily she was saved by her own stomach growling loudly.

"Whoa, Gaara you were supposed to feed her."

Ino flushed indignantly and was only stopped from responding with another tirade about starving by Gaara's quiet response.

"We were going now."

He watched from the corner of his eye as the Konoha kunoichi perked up instantly with a wide smile. She was so forward with her emotions; it would have been tiring if he hadn't been intrigued by it so much. Were all Konoha's ninja like that, or was it only blondes?

"Really? Yay!"

At that moment Ino caught a glimpse of a tall rough looking shinobi waving at them through the beginning of the morning crowd. She easily made her way through the sluggishly moving people and grinned as she reached up to poke at the purple face paint.

"Thought I told you this face was better without the make-up."

She laughed again as he half-heartedly swiped at her hand, dancing out of his reach with a few quick steps.

"It's war paint, not make-up. How the hell can you be so fucking chipper in the morning?"

Ino shrugged happily while bouncing around him in girlish abandon. Not bothering to mention she did not start off so chipper – a fact she hoped Gaara would intentionally forget.

"Oh 'cause Gaara Kazekage is going to feed me!"

The sand siblings all raised their brows at the name combination and sentence. Kankuro watched as the attractive blonde smiled at Gaara, and how his brother studiously avoided his two sibling's eyes.

"Oooo-ohhh really, Gaara Kazekage is going to huh?"

Temari snickered as the Suna leader in question glared at the two. Ino simply smiled widely and nodded. She knew full well what trouble she was causing but just couldn't help it. It was a relief to know that these two were at least taking kindly to her. Casting a quick check in Gaara's direction she secretly hoped for three new friends.

"Well we'll join you two, unless anyone objects?"

Gaara watched as Ino shook her head, while suspiciously thinking she knew what she was causing. He only felt it was confirmed when she gave him a sly look in his directions.

Refusing to take the bait, he shook his head and turned into the closet restaurant. The Konoha girl was almost unnerving in the way she tampered with things, it was like having a second feminine yet sneakier Temari around.

As everyone headed towards the same table, Ino caught Temari's eye as she slid in next to the girl.

"What?"

The only response was only a small perceptive shake of her head.

"What will you have?"

After everyone had placed their orders and the small serving girl had left them each with tea, Ino felt eyes on the back of her head.

Glancing around, she tried to find the pair of eyes that were watching her. Coming up empty handed, Ino shrugged and turned back to half listen to the conversation between Temari and Kankuro. They had started arguing about a training method to use on the new genin. It had started off as intelligent bickering but was slowing down fallings to a simple 'yes' and 'no' shouting contest.

"Why don't you just do it the way you both want and have the brats learn both ways?"

They all turned to look at her as she blinked back. Kankuro was the first to break; raising his hand up to scratch at his head.

"Well that was diplomatic, but rather boring."

Ino grinned and stretched out her arms before shrugging.

"I was tired of you two bitching at each other."

She glanced across the table in time to see a quirk of lips from the Gaara. Oh, so close! Pausing, she mentally frowned at the young man, as if it was his fault.

"I would have pegged you for a teacher and not a medic Ino."

Gaara watched as Ino shrugged again at Temari's comment, her slender fingers fiddling with a pair of extra chopsticks on the table. Her expression had oddly gone blank for a minute before breaking into a sheepish look.

"Ah well, I'm not strong enough to teach future generations. Better stick to being useful instead."

The silence was short lived before she spoke again, as if she felt like she had to defend herself.

"I am average so I'd rather the higher up teach people who will have to defend the village later on."

Gaara looked at the crooked smile on her pretty face and felt as if it was false. Did she really think she was average? He felt it daunting to know that this above average looking woman thought she was mediocre. Were her skills that bad? He couldn't remember every seeing her fight since the exam. Even during the exam he was busy wanting to fight Sasuke.

"What, but an average ninja would not be studying serious medical procedures."

Temari's eyes widened at Kankuro's admission. Serious medical anything was important in a village that was always lacking in doctors.

"What kind of procedures?"

Now it was Ino's turn to sheepishly rub at her neck, avoiding everyone's eyes. She hadn't been fishing for reassurance or compliments.

"Well, you know, brain surgery and stuff. Tsunade Hokage believes my jutsu skills might help, but it's still in the outlining yet."

Temari's mouth was slightly opened before speaking again.

"But you'd have to know way more advance stuff before even thinking of brains, that's the most untouched area of the body for medics. It's too complicated, and a person would need perfect chakra control right?"

Gaara watched as Ino stared at the table for a few seconds before flipping her hair over her shoulder and smiling happily.

"Not too complicated. Sakura would be the one but she is too impatient and would probably squish the brains."

Everyone cringed at the thought of the bubblegum Kunoichi's strength and temper.

"Tsunade picked you for other reasons."

Ino blinked in surprise as Gaara's shadowed eyes met hers. The sincerity in his voice had her fighting back a blush as she almost timidly nodded and smiling.

"Yeah, she probably did."

Luck had it that she missed the two older siblings exchange of glances as the serving woman came with their food.

They all paused as a loud grumble could be heard. Ino clutched her stomach with a Naruto worthy groan.

"Just in time!"

She beamed at the food in front of her, muttering a quick thanks before digging in with a vengeance. Kankuro rudely stared until Ino looked up with 'what-the-hell-are-you-looking-at?' expression that was dampened only mildly by the food in her mouth.

"You eat like your name. I thought you were dieting?"

The silence was deafening as Ino swallowed slowly. Temari hissed through her teeth when he foolishly continued.

"Wasn't that what Shikamaru was complaining about last time he was here?"

Gaara felt his eyes wanting to close at his brother's idiocy. Sure he was inexperienced at girls, but even he wasn't as tactless as the puppet user was sometimes.

"Was he now?"

The friendly tone was gone, leaving behind a chilly murmur that effortless reached their ears.

"Oh, shit is going to fly. Brother, I condemn thee to your own stupidity."

Temari's whisper was unnoticed between the blonde as she unwaveringly stared at the painted face who was leaning as far back in his seat as possible. He hadn't known the beauty could look so _deadly_.

Gaara felt rather than saw the chopstick when it was suddenly embedded in the wooden booth an inch from his brother's head. He only blinked when Ino appeared behind the booth; her hand caressingly smearing the paint on his brother's shocked face as she whispered.

"My name huh?"

Without further ado, she was at the exit, her hair waving gently as she pushed aside the restaurant's curtains. Leaving behind a shocked silence.

"Whoa, didn't think she had that in her."

Temari eyed the chopstick as Kankuro sat unmoving, staring at a spot on the table.

Gaara closed his eyes and sighed before opening them and standing up. He cast his barely touched meal a sad glance before fixing his brother a grim look.

"Uncalled for."

Temari cut him off, her irritation growing as her voice did.

"Kankuro, seriously learn to control that mouth of yours. Jokes should go only so far. Despite her being a friend, she's always Konoha's ambassador."

Gaara mentally gave in to his sister taking his lecture, but didn't bother stopping her. Instead he caught his sibling's eyes and pointed to the other side of Kankuro's head before turning to follow the blonde.

As he left, they stared at the second chopstick that was still quivering half an inch from his ear.

"Holy shit."

…………………………………………..

* * *

All happy thoughts of conquering the day gone, Ino walked towards the hospital without bothering to hide her stomp.

She angrily rubbed her neglected stomach, cursing the punk puppeteer.

What a jerk!

Slowing her step down, Ino felt low as she thought over his words. Was she still fat? Passerby's sidestepped her as her expression darkened ominously as she thought of his words.

"You eat like your name, huh, what a prick!"

Muttering loudly, Ino paused as she took in her surroundings. The hospital had been towards the right, right? Turning around on the spot, she pushed back the feeling of panic as she gazed at the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Urg, why does every building look exactly the same!"

Fighting the urge to shove her hands through her hair, she jumped at the voice behind her.

"They were built for convenience first."

Gaara watched as Ino turned to glare at him.

"Oh yeah, very convenient."

He shrugged and turned to lead her away from the Kazekage tower. The sound of stomping confirmed that she was following.

It was several minutes until Gaara, spoke again, this time they had been walking eveningly to each other. Allowing him to be quiet.

"I apologize for Kankuro, he has a rather –"

The Kazekage was interrupted for the second time that day, by another angry blonde no less.

"He's rather stupid and tactless, but generally a nice guy. Which is why I didn't gut him with those chopsticks."

He watched as she frowned at the ground before continuing.

"It was bad form of me to react like that, I know he probably didn't mean it rudely or maybe he did but that doesn't give me cause for doing that. I'm sorry Kazekage."

Gaara waited a while longer just in case she wasn't finished, but when it was clear by her pursed brooding expression that she wasn't going to speak again only then did he open his mouth.

"Very good for a Konoha diplomat, but not needed for a..friend. Impressive with the eating utensils though."

He watched as she visibly perked up at that, though he didn't know it was because he had said friend and not because of his offhand compliment.

Was that all it took to make her happy? He had somewhat expected it to be more difficult. For all appearances of looking high maintenance, Ino was doing a good job of shattering that illusion.

"Thanks Gaara!"

He nodded briefly as they were covered by the hospital's shadow. It was relieving to be out from under the scorching sun, and he took a minute to let Ino soak in the coolness.

"Ah, that feels nice after being in the sun, especially since I didn't really get to eat much."

She frowned momentarily at the thought but pushed it away; as Gaara held the door open for her. Stepping through, she paused to look back at him and smile.

"Thank you."

He blinked as if surprised but nodded gamely back before following her.

She smiled again as she took in the deep smell of antiseptic, blood, and illness. Familiar scents that brought her back to Konoha's medic ward as she had first started working on humans and not animals.

The grin widened when she spotted Hanako Hikaru impatiently waiting at the secretary desk.

Gaara caught the malicious expressions exchanged by the two and started turning around. He saw the unconcealed look of glee on the woman's face as she honed in on her victim, and wanted no part in seeing her make the head doctor exhausted. He had paperwork to do.

"I'll be back to take you to lunch."

He watched as she turned her head to look at him for a minute, her expression gone peculiarly soft before a friendly grin appeared.

"Alright, see you later."

With a nod, he turned towards the door, sighing inwardly when he heard the two started in without even so much as a greeting.

Yup, he would hear about it later.

.................

* * *

A/N: bbbbllllaeeeeerrrrggggggg breaking up is ...a.....ddddddrrraaaaaaagggggggg! *complains to strange audience*

Aroo, I posted this three days early since I'm in such a Stench mood.

*peaks out*...reviews... might cheer me up T_T


	5. Chapter 5

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* * *

Ino fought the urge to hiss at the overbearing presences behind her. Hanako had been consistently breathing down her neck for the last week since she had started working at the hospital.

After they had _again_ argued about what she would be doing (an argument she had cunningly won only when she had ominously threatened to tell the Kazekage) Ino had hoarded her triumph over the senior member as she met the rest of the staff in the immediate care unit.

"Yamanaka, the Kazekage is waiting by the front desk."

She ignored the indignant huff behind her as she paused in her ministration to smile at the young male assistant.

"Ino please and could you kindly tell the Kazekage that I'll meet him there after I'm done closing up?"

Tio was a good medic assistant, and Ino had high hopes for his future. She even toyed with the idea of mentioning his name along with a few others who showed promise of becoming full ninja medics to Gaara. Why they were even still assistants was questioning to her, the staff was low on full medics as it was, so why hold potentials back?

Focusing her mystical palm technique, Ino felt the familiar warmth flow through her entwined hands. The shinobi whose leg she was healing was anxiously watching her. It was a simple shallow wound, a kunai that had gotten through his defense during a training exercise. Well, it might have seemed shallow to her but the fact that it had exposed deep enough to show muscle that was beyond the fat had the young shinobi in question sweating bullets.

All she had to do was focus on regenerating cells to connect the torn tissues – nothing major in the way of surgery but it did take concentration.

It was lucky for him that it was on the part of the thigh that wasn't by any vital arteries, but had it been any closer to the groan and he might have been in trouble. Still, Ino made sure that her hands kept the sight from his wide eyes. For some reason, most ninjas didn't react so well when they watched their own bodies heal in front of their eyes.

Sure, they can fight in the constant blood bath of being a ninja but seeing a wound stitched up, no way. She's had to dodge vomit more than once.

Bunch of sissy's was the reality that being a medical nin showed her of her fellow comrades.

But it didn't help relieve his fear with Hanako hovering around her ass.

"There, the surrounding muscles might be sore, and a bruise will definitely form later, but besides that it's as good as new!"

Stepping back with a big smile and intentionally trodding on toes, she watched as the shinobi gingerly touched the exposed thigh, pushing a tentative finger along the freshly pink skin of newly generated cells. Her smile only widened when his wide brown eyes looked up to meet hers.

He obviously was just proven of her skill.

"Thank you Yamanaka!"

Brushing the thanks off with a mutter of 'call me Ino' and a 'get quicker or avoid flying sharp objects' she turned around to dispose of the single cloth she used to disinfect the wound prior to starting before heading down to the front desk where Gaara would be patiently waiting for her. Leaving in her uncaring wake a pissed director who was undoubtedly glaring after her with sore toes.

Gaara.

The image of the Kazekage brought conflicting emotions to her mind. On the day he had first dropped her off, Ino hadn't expected that it was going to become a tradition of theirs, but since then he showed up every day to at noon to take her to eat.

Sometimes he would go straight to a restaurant, and other times he would take her to the open market and let her explore the different foods that were out in the arid climate. Their conversations were always borderline professional; being as he would courteously ask after the hospital in a quiet voice and she would loudly launch into Hanako's most recent attempt at putting her in the nursery - describing the arrogant man with numerous insults.

A few times she had almost caught a smile.

Stepping down the last few stairs now, Ino took in the straight posture he always carried himself by and couldn't help but wonder what kind of thoughts he had hiding beneath that mop of unruly red hair.

"Thanks, I had to finish a leg wound."

He nodded and led the way towards the door, letting Ino carry the conversation as she explain the wound and what she had to do to create new skin cells. It was comfortable.

Today he led them to the market, and the smile he caught on her full lips was almost catching as she paused in her story to meet his eyes.

"Market day! What new and Suna exotic food shall I be subjected too today?"

Ino had been making a game out of her trying out the sand village exclusive foods, making Gaara choose a certain dish to have her try. Her reactions weren't always favorable, and a few times he had caught himself chuckling over her expressions. The kunoichi wasn't one to hold back from making a public spectacle of herself.

It was the closest thing he's ever come to playing with someone, and though he had at first felt awkward at her childish glee he was quickly coming to enjoy the innocent past time. It was definitely better than paperwork and assigning missions.

"Lizard tongue."

She nearly tripped at the information, but caught herself. Raising a fist to mockingly shake it at the man by her side, she grandly announced.

"Konoha will not back down at such a tactic! I will bravely eat something that is cut from a lizard's mouth, and will not show any remorse! You won't beat me!"

Ino pushed the image of the object in question firmly from her mind as she spoke, her stomach tightening in instinctive protection. Lizard tongue, ew.

"We'll see Suna might win this round."

Eyes met before Ino dissolved into a fit of laughter. He always sounded so reserved and serious; it was hard to believe that he went with her rambunctious ideas and generally outgoing personality.

That reminded her.

Straightening up from her position, Ino shook the wayward hair out of her eyes before cocking her head to look at him from the side.

"Gaara, why are there so many medical assistants but few actual doctors?"

When the silence lingered after she spoke, Ino took another debating breathe before pushing forward.

"I have met and worked with a lot of assistants that have great potential as field medics, sure they need to be put into real life situations and stuff but I really believe that they'd do alright."

Gaara paused before they turned onto the street that contained all the vendors, his fathomless eyes staring into hers. It was amazing how she barely even stressed over meeting his gaze; in fact, Ino didn't fear Gaara at all. Sure he knew how to intimidate people into doing his bidding but she was almost positive that he'd never force her into anything unsavory on purpose. Minus eating lizard tongues.

Well, he wasn't her leader after all, so it was a mute point.

"I didn't know."

Blinking in surprise Ino stepped closer to him. Impressing upon her point.

"Really, that's odd. When I pestered Hanako about it, he only said that it was because Suna training took longer, but that shouldn't hold back people who are obviously ready."

Jade eyes narrowed at the mention of the head medic, and Ino guessed his next words before he had even spoke them.

"You know, for a head medic, he sure does spend a lot of time sniffing my skirts. I have yet to see him do anything medical at all."

Shrugging the matter off with a grin, she instinctively started reaching out to grab his hand when her mind caught up with her actions. To cover up the movement, Ino brought the hand to rub the back of her neck.

What the hell?

"Well, let's not ruin lunch! Off to gag – er- **eat**reptilian mouth muscles!"

Being ahead of him, she missed the lift of the corner of his mouth.

………………….

* * *

It was foul.

Eying the slice of animal tongue lying on the place in her hands, Ino literally felt green around the gills. The smell alone – distinct as a gas bomb – was enough to put someone off food for a whole month.

Slowly bringing it up to the level of her offended olfactory, she took a tiny sniff before quickly lowering the plate down as far as her arms would allow.

Turning wide watery eyes up to meet the Suna's leader, Ino swallowed shallowly before gesturing.

"People…eat this regularly?"

Seeing his nod, she closed her eyes in denial. There just could be no way that someone would subject themselves to this kind of torture daily! If the smell didn't get to them, then the texture would be enough to kick any habit. Hell, she hadn't even tried it and wanted to forswear it off.

Looking up again to say exactly what was on her mind, her lips twisted down in what she supposed was an ugly dead fish look.

"Hey if I puke that doesn't count as a point against me okay?"

Not bothering to wait for his reply, Ino took a deep breath (through her mouth) and shoved the lizard tongue into her mouth.

"Bluuurrrggg!"

Chewing as quickly as humanly possible, Ino squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think of happy thoughts. It was a poor attempt, it tasted as horrible as it smelt.

Feeling her gorge rise, Ino's eyes popped open as a hand loudly smacked over her mouth in order to keep everything in.

He didn't warn her about the hot spices that were stuffed inside.

It was obvious when she had bitten into the 'hot spot' as they called it; her eyes nearly escaped out of her head as tears ran down her face. There was some spit leaking from between her tightly clasped fingers.

Hearing murmurs of the people gathering to watch the odd Konoha's reaction, Gaara ignored them as he watched in open fascination. Her bulged cheeks looked like they were on fire; in general it was one of the ugliest expressions he has ever seen.

It was funny.

She couldn't take it anymore. It was hot, her mouth was on _fire_. She was going to burn from _the inside out_.

Uncaring of the crowd that had gather she whirled around in the middle of the street, wildly looking around.

"Here."

Spinning around with tears flying, Ino took a short glance at the random bucket the Kazekage was holding before leaping towards him.

She only managed to smack it from his hands before falling over it on the ground and violently being sick. Right in front of Suna's Kazekage sandaled feet.

And loudly.

Luckily Gaara took the discretion of taking a step back because she might have been tempted to get some on his shoes.

"Ew! She's totally puking!"

The children's squeals of delighted disgust didn't go unheard and when she managed to shakily raise her head – Ino made sure to give the audience the most hideous expression she could afford to do at the moment; which was pretty easy considering she had just brought up everything she had eaten that day. Their laughter was loud, and though it felt like her throat had been stripped with a scalpel, she felt a little less homicidal.

Looking up at Gaara, she felt her sweaty face freeze and her heart thump uncomfortably fast.

He was smiling.

No, he was _laughing._

Lost was the discomfort of just having heaved up a reptiles body part that had been loaded with god -only-knows-what, Ino stared in dumb awe at the transformation in front of her.

Eyes shut in laughter with a dimpled open mouth smile, Gaara was …devastatingly adorable.

In the back of her mind she thought it was a shame that she couldn't catch the sound with all the other laughter surrounding them.

A warning gurgle coming from her stomach had her collapsing back onto the ground with a loud groan that caused even more laughter.

"Sadists."

Groaning again for theatrical effect, she listened as the children laughed. Waiting for her stomach to settle – not caring if she was lying in the sand in a fiery sweat – Ino felt her mind wander back to the image of Gaara. He had looked so childish, as if the years of pain and harshness just melted away. Had he ever been able to laugh like that as a child?

If all it took to get him to show that vulnerable side of him was for her to chomp down on a foul lizard tongue, she'd do it again.

Or maybe not.

"Kazekage, is the Konoha lady dead?"

Playing dead, Ino flopped over onto her stomach, smiling into the ground at the squeals that she had intended to receive.

"No."

Peeking out from the hair strands that had fallen over her face, Ino watched as a little girl who looked around the age of four went over to the now kneeling Kazekage. It was strange to see him lowering himself to accommodate for the height difference but watching him she realized he was trying to make himself seem less threatening.

Ha, as if he was some big bad guy. She was onto him now that he slipped and smiled like a little kid himself!

"She's awfully sweaty."

Snorting loudly at the child bluntness, Ino missed his answer as she slowly got to her feet. Staring at the ground in concentration as her stomach wobbled a little, Ino didn't notice the small sandaled feet until a small shy spoke.

"Unn… you work in the hospital right, Miss Lady?"

Sitting back on her legs Ino shoved the hair out of her face before eying the cute blonde girl in front of her. Smiling brightly she nodded, watching as a wide eyed look of astonishment sweetened the small face in front of her.

"Re-really? Do you see my big brother?"

A skin full of water dropping in front of her face interrupted Ino's answer. Sparing a glance at the now somber face of the red head, Ino gulped down half of the water before turning back to the little girl. She resisted spitting it up for the sake of the sweet face in front of her, but boy did the grumbling her stomach warn her not to do it again until the after taste was gone.

Damn Suna bastards and their hell spices.

"I'm not sure, who is he?"

The question had her thrusting out her chest in pride as her small lungs took a deep breath – Ino was sure she heard them creak under the pressure – before speaking hurriedly.

"His- name-is-'Ashi-and-he-is-in-the-childrens-ward-for-a-sickness-that-won't-leave-him-alone-but-he-is-really-strong-and-one-day-will-be-a-great-ninja!"

Blinking at the sheer capacity, Ino paused to decipher what she had said when Gaara's voice spoke over her head.

"Yamanka does not work in the children's ward Karren."

Standing up to brush off her rather bedraggled and fragrant clothes, Ino avoided their eyes until she was done.

"I'm sorry, Karren was it? But I don't work with any of the children."

The wide gray eyes stared at her for a moment before a frown took over her face. Ino's chest tightened at the look when the girl spoke slowly.

"Konoha's lady came here only to help the busy ninjas…but what about us? We get hurt too!"

Spinning around, she sprinted off with her small hands over her face, leaving Ino to stare after her.

"She's..been visiting him every day."

Straightening up to look over, she watched as Gaara continued to stare after the girl. The expression wasn't closed but there was something shifting behind his eyes that made Ino want to reach out and touch him in comfort. Instead she folded her arms across her chest and looked away.

"Children are so fragile and attachable."

Feeling his gaze on her, Ino turned and began walking the opposite way towards the end of the market. She was sure he would follow, and after a few seconds the soft sound of his boots on the sand assured her that she had been right.

Pausing in the shadows of a deserted building, Ino slumped down on the ground in the shade. Looking up she waited until Gaara sat down by her, containing the amusement she had at seeing the Kazekage sitting like bum.

The thought made a random image of Konoha's number one bum come to mind and she ignore the pang of homesickeness.

It might have been the pang of her stomach protesting from its recent abuse.

"Attachable?"

He watched as the blonde absently wiped sweat from her brow and wondered what had happened to the carefree woman who had been squirming on the ground just to make people laugh.

"Yeah, you get emotionally attached to children really easily when they are patients. And then sometimes they…don't make it." Her eyes slid over his briefly before continuing in a softer tone "it's a terrible blow when you can't save someone who has barely begun to live. You really start to question everything in your life."

They fell into silence as he watched her eyes stare down. She wasn't bowing down to hide her face, nor was she trying to play it off with some stupid joke. The blonde was simply acknowledging her weakness because some things weren't meant to be ignored or forced to use anyway.

"Some weaknesses aren't…conquerable…"

Ino turned surprised eyes on him as Gaara resolutely stared forward without making eye contact. What can of weaknesses could he not win over? Thinking of the image of him laughing she thought that he had a lot of weaknesses. Like wanting to be accepted.

Seeing the resigned look on his smooth face, Ino felt low at having been depressed over something like getting attached to a child. After all, they didn't mean to get sick.

Jumping up from her position, Ino smiled down at him and impulsively held out her hand. Jade eyes widened at the gesture with an unsure look until she impatiently leaned down to grab his hand.

Hauling him to his feet, she reluctantly let go of his warm hand to stretch her arms above her head.

"How about I make you a deal since I toooottttaaalllllyyy lost with the food. By the way using something that grotesque in order to win was a dirty trick but I'll let it slide this time. How about I start working in the squirt ward but in exchange you let me take some potential medics out on some missions once a week."

Looking over her shoulder as she led the way back towards the hospital, Ino blinked at him with acid sweetness. He simply stared back with a blank slate.

She might not be afraid of him, but Ino didn't have the ability to not blink so little as him.

"Gaara I really think more medic doctors would be for the best – you need enough so that you have the option of having field medic nin to send out."

Stopping herself from speaking more, Ino watched as Gaara looked away from her. She might be a bit on the talkative side, but she also knew when to shut her mouth and wait patiently. It was one of the few things that her dad and Shikamaru were able to teach her.

Looking away to let him think she was surprised to see that they were almost back at the hospital's main entrance. Looking at the large front doors, Ino inwardly sighed at not really having a true lunch. In fact, she had given up her _all_ her meals in efforts of puke-bucker worship.

Ah, but Hanako was probably still in a pissy mood so perhaps the day might not be a waste.

"I would have to think more on you going on missions. Since you are not only an ambassador but also a fill in medic, I can't simply send you out to potentially fatal missions and probably not every week but perhaps every two week."

Feeling her heart jump to throat Ino dared not to speak as Gaara looked at her while opening the door. She didn't even notice how he always did it anymore since it seemed like he didn't realize he was doing and she didn't want to try unwanted attention on something so insignificant.

Instead she focused on the attendant standing behind the front desk – looking up and smiling at her before returning to whatever she was working on – and waited.

…………………

She really didn't have a problem with children. Sure they were cute, innocent, and sweet, but they also were whiny, clingy, and sneaky.

Staring through the windows on the entrance doors towards the serious case part of the children's ward, Ino felt like she spoke too soon. What the hell had she been thinking?

The image of a little girl running away from her in the streets came to mind and she sighed before pushing through the doors. She would have to do something about that unused maternal instinct that wanted to pop up – it got her into a lot of trouble.

Stupid Gaara and his childlike smile.

"Yamanaka?"

Stepping into the room, she was surprised at how quiet it was. Konoha's hospitals were always so loud that she once was caught by Shizune at having cotton balls in her ears as she went around on her runs. The Hokage's assistant had given her a hour's lecture on how that was against the rules before admitting that she hadn't thought of that herself.

Here though, it was more quiet than in the other parts of the hospital. Glancing around the room, she noted how there were ten small beds total.

"Yamanaka?"

Hearing the voice, Ino turned to meet kind brown eyes surrounded in a sun-kissed face of who she was guessing was the nurse. The woman might have been five or fifteen years older than her, it was hard to tell with the way her entire body seemed to be touched by the sun's rays; brown hair bleached with honey highlights and skin that was a toasty brown.

Smiling absently while taking in the rest of the room, Ino tried not to look to closely at any of the small patients yet.

"Yes, sorry, I'll be dabbling in here also if that's okay. Oh, and please call me Ino."

She didn't miss the look on the woman's face but decided to ignore it. Women were different than men, especially in the career world. They weren't any less capable, but were more prone to vicious tactics; their respect or at least obedience had to be earned in different ways.

Ino couldn't flat out insult the woman, no that would simply backfire.

It takes a bitch to fix a bitch she once remembered Tsunade telling her and Sakura. Well, the two young woman had already more than enough of that criteria and the Hokage watched as the two proficient kunoichi's ruled with iron fists- one metaphorically and one physically.

"Alright _Ino_, I'm Teru."

Nodding once to show she understood, Ino headed towards the farthest bed – leaving the woman to figure out that she had been clearly dismissed. It would definitely sting, but well worth it.

The bed's occupant was tiny and the fact was only made more pronounced by the large emerald eyes under a thick head of hair and set in a sickly pale face.

She hated kids.

Sitting on the edge of the bed in a friendly manner, Ino seemingly absently set the chart on her knees while smiling at his wary expression.

"'Ello governor, don't worry I'm not going to prick, stick, or poke you. At least not for a while yet."

Smiling again, this time at the narrowing of his eyes, she waited with a carefree expression for him to speak. Glancing down at the chart, she saw the names and mentally raised her eyebrows.

"They always take my blood, everyday. I won't anymore!"

Watching him glare at her in defiance, Ino sighed inwardly before nodding sagely. Leaning back she stared back without blinking making him squirm a little.

"Good, it won't do you any good."

Thin shoulders slumped when he heard this and she felt a tinge of something when he gave a very worn out sigh before speaking again.

"That's good, if I'm going to die I don't want to have to be picked at all the time."

Rule number one in dealing with sick kids: Do. Not. Hit. Them.

Teru jumped from her seat at the sound of something smashing to the floor. Wildly looking around, she found the blonde towering over the kid.

Ino wasn't actually pissed, but irritated enough to pass it off well. Glaring down at the unaffected expression on her face, she felt the urge to go hunt down whoever gave him the idea of giving up so easy and shove a well place boot up their ass.

Instead she settled for pointing at him in a imperial manner.

"Look here ya little shit! I don't do things half assed and neither will you! That little sister of yours stomped _away _from _me_ just 'cause she wanted you to become a stupid ninja! Now looking at your weak little self, I can't even imagine why she looks up to a quitter like you!"

Breathing through her nostrils like a dragon she continued despite the protests coming from behind her. His face hadn't changed until she mentioned his sister.

"H-how do you kno..?"

Abruptly changing her manner, Ino casually waved a hand to and thro as if she hadn't just been yelling at him.

"Oh you know, this and that was brought to my attention but since you don't want my expertise I'll just go off and help older brothers who want to live so their little sisters can look up to them. Good day to you sir."

Not waiting for a response, she left the flustered nurse and wide eyed boy to their own devices to go introduce herself to the other nine occupants. Nine pair of eyes were all staring at the new female doctor with varying degrees of confusion and astonishment.

Setting herself grandly on the bed of a young girl who wasn't eve able to sit up – Ino sent dark thoughts towards a certain red head.

He had better damn well agree.

* * *

.....................

* * *

A/N: Gomen for any grammar mistakes at the last part.

I'll admit - I had total fun writing the market part...I can just picture it too easily.

Anyway, thanks! (also -cough cough- reviews make my day! =D )


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

...............

* * *

"You look like shit."

Temari watched as the blonde kunoichi paused briefly in her furious scribbling to glance up at her with slit blood shot eyes before falling back to the overwhelming pile of paperwork with a grunt.

"Seriously Ino, you need a break."

Not to mention a good night's rest and some food but the suicidal thoughts stayed in her mind as she perched onto the window sill to wait.

"I can't…I spend so much time everywhere that I never have time to finish all the paperwork."

It was true too, Ino couldn't even remember when she had last had a good night's sleep, all her days consisted of now were work, work, work. From dawn till well past dark she was either : jogging through minor patients, instructing a crucial surgery, or visiting the children's ward. Doing all of this, plus taking 'special' time to harass the hospital director into allowing some new procedure or trying a new medical ointment; or just pissing him off to relieve her own stress.

"Get someone else to do it."

Pausing again, Ino looked up with a furrowed brow at the persistent feeling coming from the other blonde, she inwardly sighed with one last glance at the incomplete pile before setting her pen down and turning to Temari.

"But I _did_ ask for someone to help but that piece of vulture's ass denied it."

Seeing the darkening expression on the Suna kunoichi's face, Ino smiled in agreement. In the last month the eldest sand sibling had become an easy companion.

"Does Gaara know?"

After speaking her brother's name, Temari watched in bemusement as Ino's cheeks turned pink. A slender hand going up to cover the lower half of her face before muttering.

"No, I didn't want to bother him. He's always taking me to lunch and stuff."

Seeing the cheesy grin begin to break the other girl's face, Ino straightened up to bang on the counter.

"Besides, this is my battle and I'll skin the old man alive before I resort to tattling!"

She glared at the grinning nod that her declaration received.

"Uh-huh, sure."

Standing up to prove her point or maybe just to wipe that idiotic smile off her friend's face, geez it wasn't like she anticipated their meals everyday! Ino was pulling out her weapons pouch with grim determination when another voice broke in.

"Attacking a sand kunoichi on sand ground? Bad news, girl."

Turning on the spot to hiss at the newcomer, Ino began rethinking her strategy to include another person. Why were they always giving her those calculating looks when Gaara was brought up!

"Who said it'd be just a sand kunoichi, a make -up wearing child would be easy too."

Watching the sneer slide off his painted face Ino felt satisfaction. Seeing him crack his knuckles with a scowl she smiled brightly at the challenge when Temari cut in. She needed a good fist fight – being cooped up all day with sick or arrogant people was beginning to wear on her.

"See, you need a break. Let's go outside before someone breaks something important."

Legs automatically moving towards the door while her hands were securing the pouch, Ino's voice was low when she brushed past Kankuro waiting form.

"Like what Temari, bones?"

Seeing the equally dark look on her brother's face as the two began to bicker like siblings, Temari sighed while rolling her eyes at the two. She had been busy herself with preparation for this year's Chuuin Exams – being held here of all the places- when a somber redhead had shown his face in her rarely used office.

That fact alone had her reaching for her fan until he had spoken; asking her for a favor.

Remembering how those once bruised encircled eyes hesitantly looked at her while asking if she could do something to help the attractive blonde, Temari had felt her throat constrict. She would have never thought that her youngest brother would ever find someone who would accept him fully – and from the looks of it he himself hadn't expected it either.

If there was one person who could though, Temari's money was on the unexpected Leaf kunoichi.

.................

Hitting Suna's ground as nothing like hitting Konoha's. Instead of squishy, fall softening grass or a clear cool lake to break the fall there was nothing out here except sand and all that did was worsen the experience by stinging her eyes and scraping her skin.

At least the horribleness was being shared by a heavier male who had skidded a few feet from her.

"Te-mari – I thought we weren't using weapons other than Kunai."

Gone was the urge to castrate Kankuro, now Ino got to her feet –spitting out a brown glob of sand- before turning to face the irritated wind mistress. She had unpleasantly found out that the large fan was made out of metal and hours of sharpening had turned each end section into lethal weapons.

One swipe from that and she'd be minced meat. Luckily a knowing Kankuro had yanked her back before dodging it himself.

"Yeah well you two were beginning to piss me off. Quit bickering like an old married couple."

Watching the tall woman easily swing the fan shut with an audible click Ino gave a grateful sigh. It was true; she had only used it when Kankuro turned on Ino when she had made another crack at his 'war-paint'. How _purple_ face paint became _war paint_ was beyond her.

"Let's just use taijutsu and go one- on-one."

This was said with a thud as the fan hit the ground – thus showing getting rid of the temptation. Quickly following her example with their weapon's pouch they all paused before Kankuro spoke.

"How about me and the _little_ lady first?"

Temari didn't get to answer – only leapt back as Ino, snarling at the sarcastically emphasis on the word, round house kicked the unsuspecting man in the chest.

"Ow! Don't-be-so-sensitive!"

Dodging the first two punches that were aimed at her face, Ino blocked the third with a forearm. Jabbing two fingers at his large Adam's apple, she didn't hesitate when he threw a leg out towards her knee.

Easily aborting her move to flip over to avoid the desperate move, Ino grinned at the change of pace.

Back home they would have, no doubt, put some kind of limitation on the practice – like no fatal moves or something as restricting. The only law these two followed was the agreement of no weapons. They understood the necessity of honing each ninja skill carefully but they weren't going to hold back in fear of injuring the mock opponent.

If they couldn't' survive practice than how would they ever survive in the real thing?

Ino understood.

Seeing the teen run at her with a fist held back, she momentarily thought of deflecting it with a small use of medical chakra but ditched the idea. Physical force only.

It was only a second before he reached her that she figured out it was a feint. Letting her body fall backwards, Ino tensed the moment her hands crunched onto the sand while throwing her feet up to meet the soft spot underneath his chin.

At the resounding noise of teeth connecting, Temari hissed quietly before grinning as the blonde lowered her legs to the ground to sweep her brother's feet out from underneath him.

"Ouch, nice move!"

The low rumble from the pile of flesh that use to be a cocky shinobi had her grin widening as Kankuro got up from the ground.

A matching grin was on Ino.

"What are they doing?"

Turning from the vicious fight that was being displayed Temari met the wide eyes of a genin. Seeing the dark hazel eyes, she eyed the promising ninja before answering.

"Training, go tell the Kazekage."

Seeing the eyes widen further, she continued; he'd need better bait.

"If he says he's busy or whatever, tell him that I know the reason."

Watching him as he obviously muttered her cryptic words in hopes of mesmerizing them, Temari waited until he dashed out of sight before turning back just in time to see Kankuro's fist land solidly on Ino's face. Neck snapping to the side while stumbling backwards, she watched as the medical nin simply regained her balance and spat out a large bloody mass of spit into the dry dirt before leaping forward again. A vicious snarl on her blood covered lips.

Hm, maybe Gaara wouldn't want to see this.

.................

The side of her face was throbbing from the punch that she had mistakenly let by her thirty minutes ago but Ino didn't take the time to heal it. Kankuro's face look ragged, the paint smeared and dirty as sweat dripped down his face and through it.

Guessing by his smirk as he took in her own appearance, Ino was pretty sure she looked just as bad. Minus the stupid make-up.

Their movements didn't slow though they were getting tired. The sun was unbearably high – it felt as if it was sending a million rays down upon her as she slid to the left to avoid his leg while going for a kidney jab herself.

Sweat had her clothes sticking to her uncomfortably as it trickled down her body crevices, and she was sure the others were use to it.

She, on the other hand, was at such a disadvantage that she would have to drink five gallons of water before regaining all the liquid she was losing.

Seeing a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eyes, Ino's attention was distracted – allowing for Kankuro to land two consecutive punches in her stomach.

Dropping to her knees from the sudden loss of oxygen, Ino didn't have time to dodge the kick to her shoulder that had her rolling onto the ground.

"You done?"

Fighting for her air passage to open up, she glared at the ego in his tone.

To hell with him! If they didn't say any specific rules then she was going to play damn dirty! Cocky bastard.

As soon as air began to leak back through her lungs, Ino snapped up from the ground with high speed. Seeing the caught off guard expression on his face, he had obviously been paying attention to whatever had distracted her before, Kankuro didn't have the chance to move before Ino's chakra enhanced hand grabbed his bicep and yanked.

Feeling his body weight go with hers, Ino fell backwards while bringing her feet up to tuck up hard on his stomach. Her other hand now on his chest, she let her grip on him become loose as momentum and her powerful legs kicking up had him airborne in seconds.

It was a satisfying sound to hear when the puppeteer finally hit the ground several yards away.

"You go bitch!"

Taking Temari's cheer as affirmation that her opponent was not getting up for a while, and how could he when she had done that to his arm? Ino gave herself ample time to slowly sit up and catch her breath.

The low humming in her ears was a good warning of low chakra and dehydration if the way the terrain swayed in her wasn't. Closing her eyes, she settled her between her knees and focused on getting rid of the stitch in her chest.

She only looked up when two set of approaching footsteps were heard instead of just one.

"Oh…"

Meeting his pale eyes Ino suddenly jittery. When had Gaara showed up? Had he seen? She missed the smug look on Temari's face.

When he continued to not speak, Ino's nerves got the better of her.

"Temari said taijutsu only and I didn't break any rules! I just used a little bit of mystic palm only to tear a few muscles! Nothing I can't fix I promise! But boy did he sure deserve it!"

Feeling foolish for babbling on like a child, Ino clamped her mouth down with a dark glare as she waited for someone else to break the silence. She didn't really want to see the lithe red head at the moment, sure he picked her up daily for lunch but it was mostly because (this was her dark suspicion) that he got a kick out of her drama.

It had nothing to do with the fact that he hadn't mentioned her proposal even though she had kept her part of the bargain by helping out with the seriously or mysteriously ill kids.

No sir-ee, she wasn't upset by that at all. It didn't take away from her fucking happy disposition.

"It wasn't like he came to chew you out Ino; I called him out so he could watch you fight. Chill girl."

Feeling the urge to give her friend a piece of her mind, Ino instead got up and staggered over to crouch by Kankuro's groaning head. Reaching out she gently touched his arm, pulling back when his groan became louder.

"Sorry dude, if you flip onto your back I'll fix it."

Helping him by easing his movements, she ignore her own exhaustion and the other two as she began to speak to the sweat sand ridden shinobi. Really, she shouldn't have done such a dirty trick but ..well she'd blame the workload and heat in letting her temper get the better of her.

"What can I say? The heat and work makes me hella bitchy. No, don't watch – the tougher the guy the more he gets sick when he watches."

Seeing his eyes widen she laughed quietly while gentle finger rested above the damaged muscle; she really didn't do anything too severe. A simple tear in the muscle here and there; nothing that she couldn't tidy up in a few minutes.

"W-was that a compliment little girl?"

Her shoulders twitched at the name, but she didn't stop the ministrations. Pausing only to flash him a small grin she turned her attention back to the arm; leaving her mind to automatically fill in the conversation gaps.

"Perhaps, don't move okay? Muscles are complicated things; tough tissue intertwined together to create enough mass to support and protect the stuff underneath it is no easy matter to fix when a patient is moving. "

Feeling the warm chakra– it was almost a cool feeling compared to the surrounding sauna- began to pool into her hands with concentration Ino realized the just how low her energy she really was. Usually when she got to this point she would still be able to pump out a few jutsu's.

Now though, she was pressed hard to not let her arms shake as she held them out.

"Hm, I think I used a lot more chakra today than I thought- stupid punks in the kid's wards and their life threatening diseases – don't worry all that means is it'll take a wee bit longer."

She didn't move from her position of crouching even though her worn out legs were beginning to cramp; geez how long had it been since she had such a proper work out? Long enough that Asuma would probably give her a long lecture on keeping up on exercise – sure he wouldn't bother doing that to Shikamaru but her and Chouji never got off the hook.

The skin under her hands was hot to the touch but oddly dry. Of course it would be, the snotty reptile was born and raised in these high temperatures. He'd probably think Konoha was too humid in comparison to the dry heat out here in the desert.

Man, her thighs were beginning to tingle uncomfortably and she fought to keep her focus on finishing the stitching going on underneath the epidermis layers in front of her. If she generated the tissues into the wrong places of even put too much chakra into the area, it could easy do more damage than good. Though if she put too little than it could cause the whole bicep to become weak and the next time he tried to use it for some ridiculous monkey move that part of the muscle could completely tear apart.

Besides, Ino didn't do sloppy jobs, Shizune and Tsunade (and perhaps a little bit of Sakura too) beat that into her enough. If she had screwed up and they caught wind of it, then hell would have been easier to deal with than a pissed off Fifth Hokage. The buxom woman was a fucking terror when it came to medical precision.

It made sense.

The air around her felt like it tightened, or had that been her imagination?

The tingling began to grow, moving down on her legs as she 'felt' Kankuro's bicep began to strengthen. She described the feeling as intimate; being allowed to sense another's body begins to heal and grow underneath her own hands. In a way she always figured it was as close as it would be between two lovers. Coming together – feeling the others every miniscule movement- striving to become one.

Ino wasn't even sure she was properly describing it to herself, so never dared to ask the other medics if that was how it felt to them. It was probably just her suppressed romantic trying to find something to cling to in a life style that was far from romantic.

"Ah, it kinda tickles?"

The deep baritone was always somewhat of a shock after having been in Gaara's presence. The two brothers didn't resemble each other – being as one was broad and plain colored while the other one was rather short and colored like the sun itself- but she would have thought that their voices would at least show some genetic connection.

Maybe hosting a one-tail did that to a person?

Gaara's voice was rough, low and sounded as if he had smoked his entire life. At least she had just thought it was from the lack of use – the guy rarely ever talks- but having been in his company long enough to allow vocal cords to relax she noticed that if anything it got rougher the more he talked.

Kankuro on the other hand, rarely ever shut up.

"Yeah, I'm done. It'll probably be stiff and slightly sore but you deserved it so I won't apologize."

Watching as the puppeteer tenderly prodded at his arm, Ino felt the familiar sense of pride as someone was once again fixed and made whole. Automatically starting to stand up, Ino froze when the muscles in her legs did. The weight of what she just did crashing down on her.

Staring ahead, she squinted at the shinobi in front of her.

What didn't make sense was how he suddenly seemed farther away. Her vision seemed to be tunneling in, the edges blackening. The voices of Temari and Kankuro started to fade away with the darkness but she couldn't focus on them.

Oh crap.

......................

Temari was kneeling by her brother's side, admiring the invisible handy work of the kunoichi. It was amazing how something that had been torn only moments ago could suddenly be healed in such a short period of time. That couldn't have been easy.

Glancing around for her other sibling, she looked up just to time to see Gaara lurch forward to catch the blonde as she started to fall forward.

"Ino!"

......................

He had been watching her the moment he arrived at the field. Ignoring the young messenger as he focused on what was clearly the end of a fight between his brother and the Konoha ninja.

Walking up to stand by his sister, he had watched as Ino delivered a well placed kick to Kankuro's chest – sending the man staggering back a few feet.

"So glad you made it, she's matching up nicely, I think if we hadn't agreed taijutsu only she would have wiped the field with his ass by now."

Not bothering to answer, she would continue when she wanted, he watched the long blonde hair whip around like a chord as she dodged a punch. It was almost… beautiful to watch; the twists and turns she made were graceful.

"The director denied allowing anyone to help her with paperwork. I talked to the staff and they said she makes sure to visit every section at least twice a day before leaving, and only that before locking herself up to do paperwork. Kankuro had said he's been picking her up well past midnight; says she been trying to split official work with researching some stuff for some special cases."

Hearing this, his brow furrowed more but she continued.

"Gaara, she's exhausted but she refuses to ask for your help."

At this he broke his observation of the match to face his sister.

"Why?"

It wasn't like he didn't understand why people avoided him, once a monster always a monster is how most viewed the world, but Ino was different. He didn't think she would have had a problem about coming to him for something.

Had he been wrong? Maybe she really was..disgusted?

Temari cut off any more thoughts.

"Blah, she wants to fight it on her own, 'rather be skinned alive than tattle' or something like that. I think she doesn't want to burden you with it. Gaara..this village is tough but so is she, and she's going to want to be accepted on her own terms."

Their eyes locked, and he knew by her expression that she somehow had figured what he was thinking. Was this what sisters were suppose to always be like? Knowledgeable to things that even he didn't understand?

It was…nice.

"Okay, but Hanako is not allowing what?"

Her fond grin was replaced with a malicious smile but her answer was cut off when a noise caught their attention.

Turning back, he was just able to watch as Kankuro landed a solid fist in her gut – sending the girl to her knees. Something tightened in him as he watched her bend over to gag and cough. He could easily catch his brother's words.

Gaara didn't know what his brother expected, but the next few moments probably hadn't been it.…..

They had moved closer when she began to heal him, and unconsciously his eyes stayed on her bowed back the entire time. He wasn't sure why, but didn't bother fighting it since no one was looking at him anyway.

She was strong, no doubt about that and not just physical; Ino had guts, something that counted for a lot in the harsh land of Suna. It was an unforgiving place, and Gaara only knew too well how easily it'd wear you down.

Still, noticing the trembling in her crouch legs he began to wonder what her limits really were. From what Temari just told him, she had been running on overflow for the last month and although he wasn't quite sure how medical jutsu worked, using as much as it sounded she did; there had to be some consequences.

He ignored his brother when she announced that she was done; choosing to watch the weary woman as she started to get to her feet.

The second she froze halfway, he had unconsciously moved towards her; instinct that led him to be close enough to catch her when she pitched forward.

The unconscious woman landed safe against the hard armor that covered his chest – he wrapped his arms around her. Temari's worried face appeared in front of him as he swiftly swung her up into a more comfortable position. Confused at the urge to hold her closer to protect her from..what? He banished it as he shifted her.

The bridal style arrangement made it easier to inspect her dirty face as they peered down – ignoring Kankuro's questioning voice.

"She's completely passed out; I think she's hit her limit. We better take her to the hospital."

Temari turned to lead the way when Gaara's quiet voice stopped her.

"No, I'll take her to her room. Go get …Tio."

Confused but nodding obediently, she nudged Kankuro and started away.

As soon as they reached the streets, Kankuro spoke quietly.

"What was that about?"

Shrugging, she didn't bother keeping the large grin off her face as she started to run.

"Don't know but I think I like it!"

........................

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A/N: Not quite sure how that once small fight scene turned into a whole chapter..


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

..........

She had expected to smell the sharp scent of disinfectant, but as Ino struggled awake she had been surprised to instead smell the clean if stale scent that occurred from disuse that lingered in her room.

Shifting under heavy covers, she moaned as her brain began an attempt to work properly again; letting her know of the stiffness in her limbs that felt like she had slept for weeks. The lameness in her body made her groan in despair.

God she hoped it hadn't been that long, the paperwork would be the as high as a mountain.

Blinking groggily she stared past the crusty feeling around her eyes at the boring ceiling and frowned . How did she end up here again?

"She's awake, go get the medic."

Hearing that rumble of a voice, she turned her head as the door quickly shut.

"Wha-what are you doing here? What the hell am I doing here?"

Staring dumbly at the Kazekage, who was standing against the wall across from her bed, she frowned. Belatedly she reached a slow responding hand up to wipe her eyes.

"You fainted after healing Kankuro."

The reminder helped motivate her brain stems and Ino remembered the feeling of light headed dizziness when she had tried to stand up after stitching up torn bicep muscles. She had definitely been dehydrated, but it couldn't have been bad enough to where she passed out?

Something was missing and it irritated her, but feeling the ache behind her eyes Ino simply pushed the thought away.

Closing her eyes again, she spoke without the croak this time.

"Shouldn't I be in the hospital then?"

The sound of footsteps approaching was clear but she kept her eyes shut – she trusted Gaara. The memory of seeing his surprised face as he reached out to her only reassured her more.

Maybe it also had to do something with her whole immunity due to being a foreign ninja. Death or mutilation would probably put a strain on the whole ally thing.

Ah, that was it. She had been so busy the night and day before the little rendezvous that she had ignored any food besides the small lunch they had eaten together. It had been a boring day of some kind of simple soup – something she had at first scoffed at. Hot liquid in the freaking desert, but it had turned out to be some cold dish that was really tasty. Fairy subdue considering what he had her try before. At least there hadn't been any noticeable animal parts floating in it.

Then she had five surgeries to help in and the stop at the kids wards. The progress with "Ashi" wasn't much, but at least he was allowing her to take more tests, none involved needles so they were both content. From what she saw, it was some kind of problem with his blood cells.

The little girl though, Kyoko as she had shyly introduced herself, was another story. She was by far the sickest patient, and Ino was sure it had something do with her family's background. Possibly a blood line limit? Or maybe a mutated gene of some sort? The girl had strange chakra for such a young child and especially for such a weak body.

It was just damn difficult to get any information when a bitchy nurse kept pursed lips and a director that snubbed her every question. She couldn't even go into the restricted files section because she was a foreigner. Stubborn ingrates.

The image of a sweet bright smile and bright chocolate eyes that greeted her every day when she walked through the doors though, it was starting to haunt the small moments of sleep she got.

So immersed in her thoughts, Ino almost missed the whisper that was close by if it hadn't been for the uncertainty in the tone.

"I..thought you'd be more..comfortable here."

Finally opening them again, her blue eyes stared up as jade eyes stared down. His face only showed a hint of what was in his voice but it wasn't his expression that made her so sure – it was the way his eyes looked at her. As if he was waiting for her to reject his kindness.

Gaara had been concerned, and he was still concerned. For her.

The thought, for some reason, made her flush.

Sand shinobi definitely had one weakness, like she had noticed before; they speak volumes without ever opening their mouths.

"Was I wrong?"

He stepped back as she sat up in the bed. The muscles in her arms quivered at the use and she mentally frowned at the weakness. She really needed to cut some stuff back from her schedule or else her body would start to collapse under the excessive use of chakra.

Pushing back lose hair, Ino faced the red head standing in the middle of her room – looking so out of place in his battle ready outfit- and smiled.

Embarrassedly.

"No..I'm really happy. I hate hospitals."

Seeing the lightly colored eyebrows rise at that, Ino chuckled a little before motioning to a chair.

"I know it's a little late but please have a seat."

There was a slight pause with a raised brow at her unneeded manners before he grabbed the offered chair and moved it to the bedside before sitting in it. The close proximity had Ino blushing but she ignored the warmth flooding through her chest.

What the hell was wrong with her?

"You work in a hospital you know. What you just said doesn't make sense."

Leaning back against the pillows Ino nodded while glancing around. No one else was in the room, but it didn't make her uncomfortable in the sense that she was alone with Gaara. It was just that she was _alone_ with Gaara.

Maybe she received some brain damage from the mock fight?

"It's different being a doctor and a patient."

Gaara nodded at that, it was different being Kazekage and being an underling under the Kazekage. Instead he carefully watched her face as she shifted around to get comfortable. A light sheen of sweat could be seen on her forehead, and despite the few days of rest, her complexion was still pale with dark shadows under her eyes.

While he admired the strength she had for taking all on so much herself, for some reason it was frustrating for him to watch.

"I can't believe I passed out, how completely lame of me! I hope I haven't been out for long."

Meeting his calm stare, Ino resisted the urge to scoot closer to the wall. It shouldn't have bothered her, but being so close to him while in the privacy of her own room had Ino's stomach jittery for some reason. It wasn't like she hadn't been alone with a man before, but the way Gaara was so reserved with any relationship made her feel..unworthy almost.

"It's been three days."

There was a short pause of silence just as a young man stepped into the room.

"What!!"

She felt her mouth drop unbecomingly down as she incredulously gaped at what he had just said. It couldn't be possible! Though it'd explain the stiffness in her neck and back, Ino simply could not believe she had been out for that long. Oh dear lord the paperwork!

Before Gaara could answer, a discreet cough drew her attention from the red head to the visitor who had just entered her room.

"Tio?"

The medic smile with embarrassment as he walked over before stopping by the chairs side; his hazel eyes sparkling down at her.

"I'm the one that has been assigned to healing and monitoring you, Yamanka."

Ino didn't miss the unmistakable note of pride in his voice or the way he straightened up with a slight puff of chest before raising her eyebrows at the Kazekage. She narrowed her eyes at him; she swore the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly.

"I know you think highly of Tio's medical abilities, and since he was one of the medic shinobi that I have placed under your care for missions I figured this would be a good start for field work."

The explanation was followed with the man in question blushing at the off handed praise from the village leader while Ino tried to keep her head from spinning. Did he just say what she thought he did?

"Really?"

At his small nod, she closed her eyes briefly to let it all soak in before opening them and faced the shaggy haired shinobi with a wide grin.

"Guess that makes me your what..sensei…sempai?"

Breaking off in laughter at the confounded expression on his face, Ino fell back onto the pillows in a fit of giggling. She really had thought he had forgotten about the whole thing, or had just ignored it since he didn't agree.

He trusted her with Suna's future medical ninja, and that show of trust was enough. She was so happy.

"Tio, you may leave and tell the others on the team that your first mission is in a week. That's all."

Continuing to chortle happily, she managed a wave at the exiting young man before turning a large grin towards the Kazekage.

As their eyes met again, Ino realized that they were once again alone. Feeling a bit self -conscious at being in bed and that her only article of clothing was a shirt, she looked down to watch her finger trace invisible patterns on the blanket. Her bed hair falling over her face to cover any expression that might have been showing.

"Thank you, Gaara."

The soft admission had taken him back, and he was thrown at how to respond.

"I am allowing it because it will improve the village."

He was surprised when her head rose and her grin flashed at him.

"I was thanking you for bringing me here instead of the hospital."

Bringing her knees up to her chest while resting her arms across them, Ino stared in front of her as she continued. It wasn't odd to talk the most, and falling into the familiarity of their peculiar way of conversing helped disperse any awkward feelings from being alone in a vulnerable state.

"I never actually liked being in them, they always remind me of what can be lost."

Her hair was a rat's nest, and Gaara found that the messiness was attractive in a distracting way. How such long hair can become so big was a mystery to him.

"I wasn't allowed on the Sasuke retrieval mission, not being strong enough, but I remember the other ninja bringing back the bodies."

Blue eyes that were usually bright were dull now as they were lost with whatever she was replaying in her mind. He wanted the look to vanish, and grasped at some meager way of distraction.

"Poofy."

Jumping at the quiet word, Ino pushed away the memory of a broken Chouji and an unconsolable Shikamaru to stare at the man in front of her. Had he lost his marbles?

"Beg pardon?"

The idea of some loss of sanity was becoming even more alarming when a dusk of pink crossed the bridge of his nose. He had a faintly irritated look on his face as a hand gestured towards her head.

"Your hair."

Staring at him, Ino was aware of the blatant 'what the fuck' look she was giving him. Here she was, pouring a tiny bit of her soul out to him and he goes and ruins the moment by telling her that her hair was _poofy_. The man was unbelievable.

Ino couldn't stop the laughter, and soon found Gaara staring at her with mild concern as she howled. Clutching her side with one hand as the other wiped away the tears that ran down her nose, she let the hilarity roll over her in waves of relief.

"What is it?"

Realizing how she was reacting, Ino forced herself to calm down before aiming watering eyes at the Kazekage.

Vaguely gesturing at him with a hiccup, she grinned.

"Usually guys would try and comfort a girl that was having a hard time, but you.. you tell me my stupid hair is poofy. Really? I've been asleep for three days; of course it's going to be poofy!"

Well, when she put it that way. Gaara felt a bit defensive, it wasn't like he tried to comfort girls every day. Hell, he didn't comfort anyone. How was he suppose to suddenly know how, and why for this girl?

Looking away from her as she carelessly wiped at her face, Gaara frowned. Besides, how was he suppose to respond to how she spoke. She didn't follow normal conversational rules; just spoke whatever came to mind. It left him feeling uncomfortably off balanced.

Movement from the bed had him look back to see her as pushed back the blankets. Feet touched the ground revealing long smooth legs as Ino sat up.

"I'm sorry, that was rather rude, but it was just…a relief."

She had left the grin as she stretched her arms above her head, ignoring the fact that she was clad only in a white shirt. Muscles tensed with cramps before loosening up with a groan of protest. Going from fighting in conditions that her body wasn't adapted to and then ending up bed ridden for more than one day, she wasn't surprised that it stiff to move.

"Relief?"

He had stood up and retreated back to the wall when the blonde had stood up. Crossing his arms and closing his eyes as she began what seemed like full body stretches. Her voice carrying towards him.

"Yeah, you aren't like other guys Gaara, it's a nice change."

Ino released the leg she had bent up at the knee and twisted her torso to the left as she spoke. It was true, and in a life that was full of lies, she decided to try and speak as much truth as she could. It was nice to have someone stay honest to himself instead of trying to flirt or flower her with sugary words that left decay in her mouth.

It was that train of thought that made it a surprise when he spoke quietly.

"It's rare to hear that being different is good."

Glancing up from her bent over position, Ino blinked as she took n the concentrated look on his face as he faced towards her with his eyes closed. She wasn't sure if it was him being a gentleman or if he was simply unused to seeing so much female skin.

The thought of being more modestly dressed didn't cross her mind.

"Actually, from what I've seen being different is usually better than being part of the norm."

Pulling an arm behind her head, Ino watched him absently as she guessed he thought it over. He'd talk when he'd want to and the short time she's been around him she found out that nothing would speed the process up.

"I don't think so, being ostracized from your village, dealing with everything knowing that no one will support you."

Dropping her arm, Ino stopped her stretching to stare at the red head. His expression hadn't changed as he spoke, betraying nothing as to what he was really thinking or feeling.

Wow, she was dense sometimes.

Of course it wasn't fun being noticeably different from everybody else, and he had been a tail beast container too. Anything would have been ten times worse. Here she was, blabbing her mouth off about something she didn't even have the slightest clue about.

The brutal fact was that, if Ino was ever offered the chance to take a look into any of the jinchuuriki's mind, she would refuse without faltering. No matter how nonjudgmental she tried to be or how good she was at interpreting the mind, there were some things Ino never wanted to see.

That small presence of shame and guilt was enough to make her cringe away.

Moving away from her place by the bed, Ino headed towards the bathroom, leaving behind the self induced tension.

It was a quarter hour later when Temari and Kankuro welcomed themselves into the room, the easy expressions on their faces slipping away when they were met with an empty bed.

"Where's Ino?"

Temari watched Gaara as he nodded his chin towards the closed door. The faint sound of water could be heard, confirming the girl's presence behind it. What made the older kunoichi curious though was how Gaara was still in the room, unmoved from the position she had last seen him when she had come to check on them hours ago.

Not to mention the large elephant hovering ominously in the room.

The slight shifting by her side let her know that Kankuro had also caught onto the unease.

"Guess she's back to normal huh."

They were shocked when the smaller shinobi let out a heavy sigh, a hand moving from the crossed position at his chest to run through his hair. His lowered head had casting shadows over his face as he stared down.

The elephant just grew larger.

"Um, she _is_ alright, right?"

Gaara wasn't sure who really was right. He couldn't deny that he didn't understand the blonde's way of thinking, but was starting to think that he could have answered in a different way.

"Yes, she is healed."

Temari raised an arched eyebrow, not bothering to ask him what happened. She doubted that he even knew what was going on between him and the kunoichi, being as inexperienced as a newborn lamb.

Blah, what a pain.

"Is it me or is the atmosphere in here a bit stifling?"

Gah, trust her other brother to say something completely tactless. Turning towards him to just stare in disbelief, Temari missed the look that crossed Gaara's face.

And now the elephant was poked.

"I need to get back; I have too much work that was left undone."

Just as Gaara pushed himself off the wall and headed towards the door, Temari torn between stopping him and letting him go, when the bathroom door opened. Three heads turned towards it as Ino stepped out in nothing but a towel.

She paused at the scene before her, combed hair dripping over her shoulders as she met their stares.

Metaphorical crickets chirped in the background until she grimaced.

"Did I miss something?"

Temari and Kankuro glanced at each other, unable to answer when Gaara spoke behind them. His eyes met hers without any hesitation.

"Clothes."

The sand siblings watched at the blonde stared at their brother, wondering if she knew that her blue eyes darkened a bit as her full lips curled up into a slow smile. Temari doubted that it was a conscious reaction, but even felt herself blushing when the other woman let her towel loosen just enough to slipped far enough down to show a peek of cleavage.

"Wearing more than usual though, that's gotta count."

Kankuro's eye bugged out of his head at the admission, his head refusing to swivel around to stare at his brother. Temari cleared her throat roughly, turning to just in time to see the lift of the corner of Gaara's mouth before he left the room quietly.

Oh what the hell was that!

............

* * *

A/N: Alright another one bites the dust... next chap should or might have some medical hookus pookus involved and what not..maybe a forced what not too =)

As always, reviews are great..added to alerts/favorites are even better =)


	8. Chapter 8

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* * *

She was drenched.

The miserable heat was _visible_, actually freaking miserably visible and she was in awe at the way the area around her was swaying back and forth like seaweed in an underwater current. If reality was suppose to be like a mirage it was doing a fine job of looking like an illusion.

Tsunade was a miserable old bitch too, sending her out here to fry.

"Yamanka-sensei, we're here."

Landing on a medium sized boulder, her heels making a dirty cloud thud, she took a second to swing her hair back over a sweat covered shoulder. Squinting into the sun, she scanned the area as the rest of the group caught up.

She ignored the bubble of excitement rolling around like a ball in her stomach; it was the third mission in two months and the first active one. The other two had been supervised stimulations of possible mission situations, this time they were acting as back up for a group of ninja.

Glancing at Tio as he likewise checked the surroundings, she smacked her hand against his chest. Growling softly when she saw the quick of the mouth.

"Dude, Ino..I-N-O."

The young Chuuin was proving fast to be the most likely candidate to replace the doctor that had died. He was smart, quick on his feet in the stimulations, and he was open- minded. Plus, he just had a fun personality. Mildly morbid enough to understand her on-the-job humor while tactful enough to keep it under check when higher supervision was within hearing range.

Something she had yet to learn. It just didn't help that every time the Kazekage came around her mouth either got sharper or kept shut the entire time. Nor did it help that a certain wind mistress slipped sly comments out of the corner of her mouth that resulted in Ino's intestines squirming uncomfortable.

Face it, she might subconsciously know what was evolving between her and the redhead but she didn't want acknowledge anything in between them.

Or it could just be that since she started the missions he had stopped picking her up for lunch. Something that shouldn't have bothered her more than it did.

Catching a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye, they both turned to watch as a small brown animal scurried across the desert. She felt the sweat slide down her left temple as they tensely stared.

"What the hell would live out in god's butt crack?"

A stifled gasp from behind reminded Ino that she had two other Suna medics-in-training with her. Tio might have a good sense of humor but the only other female she had forced onto the team did not. In fact it seemed to be the auburn haired girl's goal to piss Ino off just enough for her to want to kill her without actually breaking any rules.

Kira, the quiet remaining member of her team, was the one to answer; his voice softer than Hinata's and with a stutter that was even worse.

"N-n-nothing, i-it's o-our mess-messenger r-r-rabbit."

Sensing the irritated tension from the she-wolf behind her, Ino rolled her eyes just enough to catch Tio's grin response. Reaching down to the pouch that was slung low on her hip, she casually grabbed a kunai. The hint of movement behind her had Ino hold out a staying hand, seizing the actions.

"No, you're medics. Remember a doctor takes an oath to not take unnecessary lives. If that is Suna's than it should be our team, no?"

She glanced over when Tio's shaggy head shook his glossy eyes dark in seriousness as he stared ahead. The hold around her weapon tightened fractionally.

"That's used only when something goes wrong Ino."

Swiftly turning back, she searched the area closer, waiting for something to move. Something to happen. Ignoring the sound of feet behind her shifting as the two twisted to watch the rear. They might be pains in her ass occasionally but they did know what to do when it came time to stop playing.

A hand on her wrist had her following his nod as Tio suggested towards the east.

She'd mention to them later that she had senses unsteady chakra from that direction earlier and had been waiting for them to pick up on it. Turning her back on it now, she met the sandy eyes of the girl and the flat brown eyes of Kira, speaking quickly as Tio listened with half an ear.

"This isn't something set up, so don't fuck up okay? Remember that you must take extra care in the field to not let your chakra become unstable or you can kill your own patient. If you think you can't handle the wound, do the best you can until someone else can take over. Do not kill unless you are protecting yourself or your patient. Got it?"

Of course they weren't complete rookies; each member was one she had closely observed since starting to work in the hospital. Each had special skills for certain wounds but all had the equal ability of accessing damage quickly and giving out well thought instructions. What made her nervous was that two out of three were not use to emergencies, and from experience that always caused issues.

Taking a deep imperceptible breathe, Ino was about to wish them luck when a feminine voice spoke.

"You're a hypocrite, ninja are made to take lives and yet you stand here with a weapon that has killed lives while telling us not too."

Risa was a bitch, no doubt about that, but she was tough cookie dough and had an intelligent if unbearable head on her shoulders.

Ino hardly glanced at her as she turned back to the front, her voice soft as the wind drifted back to their ears.

"Ninja are made for their villages, and yes I stand here with a weapon in my hand. But its purpose is to protect those under my care, not to go out and kill. Besides," with this she tilted her head so the corner of her blue eye glinted dangerously back at the girl, "I've killed more without ever laying a hand on them, this blade is for show. Let's go."

Missing the surprised expressions on her students faces, Ino leapt off the rock with her tied up hair flaying in the air. Hitting the ground at a run, she made her way towards the right, knowing that she would find the group.

The mission had been simple, there had been a sighting of rogue ninjas and the scouting squad was supposed to take a look. A common enough situation to not need medical backup, but Gaara had stated that they would go and when Ino had asked all he had said was that he had a feeling.

It was almost as bad Shikamaru, and she wasn't sure if she was just as annoyed.

"There!"

Hearing the cry, she motioned for them to take the lead; this was their chance to shine. The shinobi was lying on the ground but seemed conscious. Taking a moment as the others rushed forward to his side, she looked around for the other three.

They were gone.

Turning back she went over to his side as Tio held out steady hands glowing green over a side wound. It looked deep but luckily low enough that it had missed the lungs – which was dandy since she didn't want to have to try and heal a punctured lung out in hundred-and-something degree weather.

Kira was carefully preparing bandages for the superficial wounds on his forehead. They looked as if he had just barely dodged some shuriken.

Risa hesitated on the outskirts.

Frowning at this behavior, Ino mentally filed it away for later; she turned to speak to the man.

"Where are your comrades?"

His blue eyes were glazed in a pale sweaty face, and her frown deepened when it took him a moment to answer her.

"They took them."

Tio's ministrations were stopped by the delicate hand on his shoulder and he turned to watch as Ino swiftly leaned by his head. It had been the first thing she had told them about field dressing; never crouch because eventually the muscles would cramp and the body would become unsteady. Kneel down with your feet tuck a bit towards the outside, just enough to keep the blood floor from becoming too thin. It was all part of not developing distractions if whatever it was you were doing was for a prolong period of time.

The hand Ino lightly laid on his forehead was instantly slick with the man's cold sweat, something that was quite alarming. Looking closer she saw the pulse at his temple and bit back a few well chosen words. Instead she focused on his dilated eyes, which had been watching her, and smiled reassuring.

"Where did they take them?"

His reflexes had kicked in, trying to return the friendliness as he struggled to remember. Looking up to meet Tio's eyes she nodded once when she saw the questioning look. The young man silently moved from side of the body to the head, gentle fingers probing the area before silently shaking his head.

"Don't know, got a sword in the side and next thing they were gone. Where'd that bird come from?"

Kira had paused, his eyes roaming over the body before catching her eyes. She waited until he spoke.

"W-w-we need to g-get him back, s-soon."

That was the plus to Kira, the situation could always be judged by how much he stammered. If it was a lot, then it wasn't much and if there was no stammer then it was life threatening. This time he seemed to have thought it wasn't too bad.

Ino frowned at him before turning to glare hard at the girl.

"What do you think?"

Her demand received a glare back, the shrewd eyes taking it in before Risa scathingly replied.

"It seems okay."

Ino needed a drink.

Closing her eyes briefly in pray for patience, she re-opened them before turning to Tio but addressed every one when she spoke.

"People he is in shock that alone can turn life threatening in an instance if it is not properly treated. We need to get him out of this damned heat and we need to get him fluids immediately; he's dehydrated. These two factors are causing minor hallucinations. Tio; focus on closing up the tissue on the side wound until the fatty layer is covered, the rest can be done later. Kira; get out the mobile stretcher, and Risa don't just stand there be useful dammit!"

The latter jumped at the sudden raised voice.

Standing up to make room for the girl as she rushed forward to help, Ino turned away to look around. There wasn't much there, big surprise, the only changes in the scenery were boulders differing in sizes.

What a terrible turn of events, and of course it would happen on their first real outing.

...........................

* * *

"Report."

The Kazekage didn't bother shouting at ear bleeding levels like Tsunade; he simply stared down his shinobi as they stood in front of him.

Another perk of once having hosted a demon inside of him.

Another downside was the fear that created hesitation, like the one that hovered in the room now. The exception was the tall blonde glowering in the middle of the room, and he felt a moment's relief when he noticed the hard blue eyes were focused more on the Chuuin around her.

After a moment she turned to face him square on, he could see her shoulders tense with the deep breathe she took.

"We tailed the first team, got there when a ..messenger rabbit thing popped up. Following it we found one member injured."

Ino paused there, organizing her thoughts before continuing more slowly.

"From what I saw the injury itself wasn't something a shinobi would take as a critical hit; sure he was going into shock and had been out in severe heat but that really shouldn't matter to a ninja trained in such conditions."

Everybody behind her straightened at her words, but she ignored them. The eyes in front of her seemed to have darkened, turning the green eyes from jade to emerald.

"Genjutsu?"

Shrugging, Ino raised a hand to scratch the back of her neck in a fashion eerily similar to her old teammate. The movement caught Temari's eye from the corner where she had been observing, and the dark blonde raised her brow.

"Not sure what but something else had to have happened."

It was annoying how she couldn't say anything else, but Ino pushed the irritation away; vaguely listening as Gaara spoke to the other medics. When it sounded like he was almost Ino caught his eye in question and when she received a nod she turned to face her team.

"Now that, that shit's over, you three listen up. Today was a little more than I expected but that's how the real world works. You almost did good. Tio, you need to order these two around more since it seems that they can't take the initiative themselves. Kira, good job spotting the shock but you need to have more confidence. Any hesitation is going to kill someone."

The two nodded with twin looks of determination, and she returned the expression with approval; at least they were discouraged and would work harder. Swinging back around to a mildly curious watching Kazekage, she was stopped by a voice.

"What about me?"

Temari and Gaara looked on as the blonde's pleasant countenance went under such a transformation that it would have been impossible to think that she was the same loud bubbly blonde. Her body stayed forward, her eyes locking on a location somewhere above his head as she spoke in a tone that was low.

"Risa, I have no comment because you did nothing. You were a burden to the group, get better or give up."

Only the two sand siblings in front of them saw the pain flicker across the cold exterior before Gaara raised a hand in dismissal, his eyes catching the Konoha's to keep her from leaving.

Ino waited patiently until everybody that wasn't needed left before turning an expectant look at the red head. She missed the sly smile cross his sister's face.

She wasn't necessarily ignoring him, but she wasn't going out of her way to be around him either. The man ditched their tradition, and she was definitely a creature of some habit. It hurt (not that she'd admit that) to think that she had done something wrong that would make him turn away.

So, she waited.

"There's a..gathering tonight."

He didn't get very far when Temari snorted loudly and turned to grin at her. Ino couldn't help but shiver in apprehension at the slightly evil vibes coming from the girl. She hedged into the conversation slowly.

"Okay, well that's…barbarically nice. Have fun?"

Temari's loud laugh filled her ears with rough dread as she watched the kunoichi lean back and belly chortle for a few seconds before she turned to meet Gaara's eyes. The Suna leader had gotten up from his ridiculously large desk and was now standing casually if stiffly in front of the few pieces of woods that the village possessed.

When it was obvious that Temari wasn't going to fit to continue the conversation she saw him sigh softly, an odd sight to see from the stoic, before he spoke.

"It's a political party; where the representatives that are staying here can properly meet and…"

His sister helpfully caught up at this point, her tan face flushed and a wide wicked grin on her lips.

"To socialize of course, so have you got anything decent and non-purple to wear?"

Ino stared, her mind blank.

"Beg pardon?"

Her skin was beginning to itch from being exposed to harsh sands, and glancing down she noticed the raw appearance of her skin. The place was unrelenting to outsiders, and did they say something about a party?

"As Konoha's ambassador you are obligated to go."

There was a moment where she mentally crashed to the floor. Ino stare as her mind numbly worked around what Gaara had just said. She hated political things, she hated being nice to people who had lost what the real world was like, and that was how politicians were; jacked up figures who represent the 'people' but can't even sympathize with them.

She had stuff only in the color purple.

Now watching as the two exchanged unreadable looks, Ino actually stomped her feet before pointing an accusing finger at the duo. Kazekage and on foreign soil be damned.

"Well what the hell! This was obviously pre-planned so why couldn't you people tell me ahead of time! I don't have a date, and don't these things require those? And I don't have a non-purple-or-un-revealing outfit! Tsunade – that hag- never warned me about this!"

Gaara watched as the blonde went from stone still to stomping her feet around his office while going into what appeared a full rant. The high cheekbones on her face were flushed with her actions and fury, the sparkling blue flint raging in her eye. The long sweep of her hair.

He felt as if he almost ..missed watching her.

It hadn't been his decision to stop picking her up for lunch, and it hadn't really meant to become anything other than a courtesy towards an ally. But that didn't really matter, because it had become his decision to continually pick her up, and it had begun to mean more than common manners.

Gaara felt relaxed around Ino. That was simple and very complex.

It was simple in that she didn't ever cast him an evil eye or flinch away in disgust; though there was some suspicious hesitation when he handed her new foods. She didn't watch his every move in fear or anger, and once she even reached out like she had wanted to hold his hand.

It complex in that, she was a curvy form full of emotions, which meant she rarely ever held back. If she was happy, she'd laugh. If she was feeling homesick, he saw how she craved for distraction or attention.

She acted on everything he held back; it drew him in and that made him uncertain.

"Ino..Ino.. FLOWER CHILD!"

Ino jumped at the volume, catching her in mid stride as Temari's voice broke through her vocal despair. Looking over she saw how the older woman was looking worriedly at her brother. Taking a glance at the man herself, she was confused when all she saw was Gaara looking at the wall with a blank look on his face.

She had to get her act together, this was a terrible reception of what they probably had no control over anyway, and if anybody was asocial it would be the man in front of her.

Way to be self-centered.

"Sorry, sorry, I just….who am I going with?"

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Ino met narrowed teal eyes but ignored the message in them. This was a pig party, so..

Running her hands frantically through her hair, Ino did something that surprised them all.

"Can I…talk to Gaara in private please?"

Two pair of eyes snapped to gape at her before Temari nodded silently before rushing out of the room – pausing briefly by her baby brother's shoulder.

Hearing the door slam, Ino took another breathe before walking over to stand next to the man, leaning back on the edge of the desk comfortably.

He stayed frozen, as if he couldn't move other than to follow her movements.

"It's easier to talk with just you, sorry about that if it was rude."

Couldn't count on blinks for a response when it was Gaara, she had to go by the way his body either shifted or stilled more – if that was possible.

So far, so good.

Itching at her arms, she laughed lightly.

"Sand gets everywhere, even when you try to stop it. Do I have to go with someone?"

Her nails dug into her forearm when she received a nod, but Ino was not one to be deterred.

"I suppose it has to be some political show bull shit huh? Find some guy that would make the two villages look cozy. This sucks, you know how I don't like being tight with strangers, can I skip due to other duties?"

This time was a head shake in negativity before he finally spoke.

"This is top priority unless some emergency comes up."

Slumping down till her chin touched her chest, Ino vigorously scratched while contemplating possible ways to escape the horrid event. On the top of the list was poison, bodily injury, or running away. Very weak indeed.

"Stop."

His hand wrapped around her wrist – preventing her from lacerating her own skin- Ino didn't look up. Gaara's hand was surprising smooth; no scars marred the back of his hand. Yet they were large and warm; something she wouldn't have expected from someone who was just barely taller than her.

It was a nice feeling.

They lapsed into silence as neither made a move to break the contact. Ino stared holes into the floor, unsure on what to do next or if she even knew what was going on now. Should she act casual?

She really didn't want to, and for a brief tortured second she wondered what it'd be like if he touched her in other places.

Now that was just wrong.

"Um.."

Her half-assed whisper trailed off into the room like a footstep on floorboards and she felt like bashing her head against the wall.

"Would it make you feel better if we went as each other's companions?"

Gaara watched as her bright head shot up, and her eyes wide with appreciation.

"Oh really! Really! That'd be so great Gaara; I would feel much better if it was you!"

To Ino, Gaara had become the sun over shining the moon, and the smile all but split her face as she straightened up to hastily grab both of his hands in hers.

"Thank you!"

It was after she spoke that she realized their position; inches apart while holding hands alone. Quickly letting go and backing up, she laughed nervously while rubbing the back of her neck. She didn't know that Gaara had taken her actions as regret for agreeing to be his date.

"You're welcome, the Konoha's ambassador needs to comfortable."

He missed the hurt in the kunoichi's eyes as he turned to sit back the desk. To him, the matter had been settled, -secretly he liked the arrangement- and he needed to get back to the never ending pile of paperwork.

At least it would keep his mind off of what was to come.

Guys never claimed to be female rocket scientist.

"For Konoha's ambassador huh? Fine then Kazekage, I'll wait for you to pick me up.. in frickin' purple!"

Temari walked back into the office with a report just as Ino pushed open the door with a scowl on her face and glistening eyes.

Watching the retreating kunoichi from the doorway, she waited until Ino was out of sight before stepping into the office with a curious eye.

"What did you do to piss her off Gaara?"

The puzzled frown on his face gave her all the information she needed, but Temari was astonished when he actually spoke about it.

"I don't know. I suggested we go together, being politically sound, and she left."

The Kazekage looked away from the closed door to see his sister give him a pitying look. Feeling defensive, he held out his hand for the paper while continuing in a guarded tone.

"Why is she upset, she's getting to wear purple."

.............

* * *

A/N: okay so I know almost every fic has a dance scene, but this has always been part of the plan and I'm way too lazy to change it now ....besides it's not going to be completely cliche and don't expect some horrendous romantic dance scene.. -.- that'd soooo not be gaara or ino...

after saying that. there'll be some..romance.. but just the RO and not the mance. k? *_*

If the whole mission seemed like it was missing information...it was.

While writing this I was listening to Dr. John's bluesy "I don't want to know." and Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir"

And watcing True Blood... seriously an awesome show

I apologize for any mistakes - but if they are caught in the dialogue then they might be on purpose.

ok enough random stuff! Enjoy! reviews,adds,favorites, are all very nice indeed.


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

A/N: So my goal for this chapter was ...not met. lol I wanted them to get closer but it seems these two are taking it slow, depsite my efforts. Which is okay with me. Sorry for any mistakes, it's 3 am and that's my excuse.

I wanted to get this chapter out 'cause: I like to update all my stories around the same time, it's been kinda neglected, this weekends my birthday and I really wanted to get past this part so I could start working on the first kiss.

By the way, Fanfiction always screws up my spacing in the word document and I'm trying to fix it but if it seems like everything is squished together I apologize, it's not meant to be lol.

Anyway, enjoy and reviews are nice.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, becuase it I did kunoichi's wouldn't be so weak. hmph!

.........................

* * *

Temari would be the first to admit that she was not a prime example of how a woman should be. She rarely ever bothered about beauty, clothing, or anything that promoted femininity. Having worked so hard to get so high in a work place that was dominated by idiotically closed minded males, it was easy to understand why she fought against her own gender.

Still, she did have a few girly quirks.

As Ino stood in front of her now, it was easy to pin down on what those were.

The dark blonde hair was obviously well kept, glossy and conditioned if not constantly trimmed and if Ino had to put money on it, she would guess that Temari kept a extra large bottle of lotion hidden somewhere because the girl's skin lacked any damage that is usually present from so much rough exposure. Although her outfits didn't change much, the use of skirts and other such styles was also something that might have been flaunting her sex at those beneath her or a simple love for dresses.

Or the way that tough exterior softened when she was around her family.

Either way, she didn't feel threatened when the older woman had strolled into her room, stopping only to toss Ino her weapons pouch before striding back out.

If Ino had been aware that following curiously would lead to a vigorous training session, she might have simply shoved something in front of the door to prevent anyone from entering.

What the hell was up with these people and working their feelings out through brute force? It couldn't be healthy.

"Did I do something grand to piss you off, dear weasel?"

Breathing hard through her nose as sweat trailed down her temples, Ino resisted the urge to stab herself in the leg to get out of the session and that was only because she had a feeling that it wouldn't stall Temari unless it was a fatal hit.

Instead of receiving a verbal answer, Ino was made to leap back several feet as a powerful rush of windswept towards the spot she had just been standing. The water deprived ground didn't help much to cushion the landing sending painful vibrations through her heels as she whipped out a few shuriken to throw. The small stars were easily diverted with a simple thrust of the large fan.

"You know that won't work, why don't you use something useful?"

Shrugging good-naturedly in admittance of what Temari snarled, she hopped from foot to foot while trying to think of the reason why she had been hauled out to fight. It had been a long day and she really wanted to get back to the scrolls she had been looking over for some patients.

"I'm tired, can we just stop all this crap and you just tell me what I did?"

Surprisingly the tall woman did stop her onslaught of attacks, her face a mask of stubbornness. Carefully, Ino took the moment to wipe the salty water out of her eyes before starting a set of slow down stretches. Her muscles burned with tension and she drooled over the thought of a hot bath.

"Gaara's doesn't have much experience with women…"

Ino felt her neck pop as she whipped her head up to stare at the kunoichi, her eyes threatening to fall out of their sockets. Well that wasn't what she had expected.

This topic was dangerous ground.

Warning bells were sounding off in her head as she hedged a reply.

"Understandable, what with his being crazy for a few years and all."

Blanching after hearing her words, Ino tiredly rubbed her forehead. So much for being neutral. The tension in her back increased as Temari simply stared at her for a few minutes before gruffly chuckling, breaking the eye contact that had Ino trapped with the unwillingness to look away first. Both girls had their pride.

"You know, the way you make it sound so blasé is a relief after having to tip toe around it for all these years. That gives me..hope."

Sirens were now going off loudly, but she ignored them as she took in the embarrassed stance that Gaara's sister was standing. The large scary ass fan settled on the ground in what appeared as a cane while Temari leaned against it, her bemused expression facing towards the east instead of looking at Ino straight on.

Glancing around at the barren desert herself, Ino carefully chose her next words.

"I know what that's like, creeping around something that isn't suppose to even exist."

Turning to catch wide ocean eyes, Ino grinned widely while continuing. Well if she was going to get involved she would at least fully dig her grave while doing it. Not her style to work half-ass, and no matter what she considered these hardcore villagers her friends now.

And she wouldn't disappoint them; Ino only knew all too well how that felt.

"Naruto, remember? Anyway, if this is about what happened in the Kazekage office then it is between me and Gaara."

Bending down to pick up a stray shuriken, these things weren't any cheaper in the Sand village and like hell she was going to pay double the price, she neatly dropped it into her weapons pouch before heading back towards her office and its awaiting scrolls.

"I know it's not my business but still he is my brother, one who generally has zero understanding of relationships."

Temari watched as Ino broke into loud laughter. The blonde wiped away tears while turning to look at her over her shoulder, a dry grin on her face.

"Does anybody really understand that? What will be will be, don't sweat about it so much, no really don't sweat it all out that'd be really dangerous in such a place."

Seeing the elder sand sibling finally crack a small grin, Ino narrowed her eyes in sudden decision and pounced on the opening of weakness.

"So about this…party thingy..is there a place where I can get something to wear?"

Smirking at having thoroughly catching the girl off guard Ino waited while Temari equally narrowed her slanted eyes at Ino – though it was more in calculations than counterattacking the change of topic. If she was going to be forced to go, and with the Kazekage of the village no doubt, then Ino was going to make Konoha proud and dazzle everybody.

Besides, if she made a spectacle it would make the evening even more fun.

It absolutely had nothing to do with who the Kazekage was and how he only saw her as _Konoha's ambassador_, ba!

"Maybe, but.. I don't know if they carry purple."

Eyeing the smirk on her friend's face she glared with puckered lips before slyly twirling a finger in her hair. She had a plan.

"Trust me, they will. Let's go."

Laughing alongside the older girl, Ino pushed the thought of medical scrolls to the back of her head. Really, she really didn't need that much sleep and dusk was just beginning. How long could it take to get a dress after all?

....................

* * *

Tonight was the dreaded night.

"You look…mouthwatering."

Grinning at her reflection, Ino experimentally turned to the side to see how the back of the dress looked. Not too shabby for such short notice she decided. It was a enough.

Catching the pair of eyes in the mirror, she smiled wickedly.

"I don't know Temari, was that a pick up line?"

Easily catching the shoe that was thrown at her, she bent down to slip it on before reaching out a hand to take the other one from the kunoichi. Temari had left earlier to change while Ino had been playing with her hair and had returned in a simple knee length kimono that's hem had an intricate design of Suna stars. Her hair was till up, not much of a surprise there, but the young woman had applied a light layer of make-up.

Ino thought she was a pretty, in a way that fit the tough warrior's image.

"Shut up, oh and I got a note from Gaara."

This was what she had been trying to keep out of her mind. Every time a certain red head popped up in her mind Ino had the urge to run in the opposite direction; if that direction led to the bathroom. Her stomach would, just like it was now, tense up with uncertainty and excitement.

A combo she hadn't felt in a long time.

Straightening up from slipping on her other shoe, Ino hesitated before reaching out to take the small note from a curiously watching Temari. It was a single fold, nothing screamed importance, but still she had half a mind to rip it in two.

Just in case it was an exploding bomb or something, yeah right.

Temari waited while Ino slowly unfolded the letter, absently contemplating the way the blonde had froze when she had announced who it was from, until she caught the look that was now occupying the girl's face.

"Ino, what does it say?"

The sound of the parchment being ripped to shreds was drowned out by the low growling that was being emitted from the woman.

What the hell had her brother written?!

"..Ino?"

Throwing what was left of the note, a letter that consisted of four sentences, onto the floor Ino turned around do one more look over of her appearance before marching towards the door.

"That ..that…brat!"

Watching as Ino stomped out of the room with a bang, Temari sighed heavily before leaving to the party herself.

She had warned her about the lack of knowledge of her brother's part; still she didn't think Gaara was that incompetent. He was Kazekage after all and Kankuro's brother.

"Maybe he's doomed after all."

.....................

* * *

Wide eyes grew even wider, in pairs of twos and threes as Ino marched into the room. The doors closed with a bang as she glared at the lone pair of green eyes that didn't even blink at her entrance.

Ignoring the small audience, she shook the loose strands out of her face and pointed a threatening finger at the man sitting at the end of a bed.

"I believe I said pick me up at my place, last time I checked Gaara this was not my place! Bad Date!"

Her anger really had nothing to do with the fact that she had spent the last day in the grasp of Temari and her scheming seamstress, or the fact that she was not wearing the desired dress she had picked out. Sewing accident her fanny, those two deliberately destroyed her plans.

She wasn't even really sure why she was so upset with the location change, but blamed it on being a woman.

Instead of getting an answer from the quiet man, a tiny form on the bed was the one that answered in a sweet voice.

"Kazekage had promised to visit me! I had asked him to show me his formal wear!"

Fighting the tick in the corner of her eyes, Ino forced herself to pause and take in said clothing. They were Kazekage robes, but unlike the usual billowing effect, this set was thinner. The armor that was usually worn on the outside could be seen beneath the crimson material.

Unaffected by how handsome and kingly he looked she crossed her arms over her own outfit in obvious indifference.

"So Kyoko, how does the snob look then? Does he get your professional approval?"

The child just looked at her with astonishment at her own arrogance but after exchanging a glance with the subject she smiled sincerely at Ino.

"He's very appropriate for a date Ino!"

Finally letting her irritation melt away, who could stay annoyed when that kid was throwing cute smiles everywhere, and approached the bed.

"Really what kind of kid uses that type of word, besides how would you know about dating? Got a long history do you?"

She didn't notice the way Gaara was eying her appearance.

His eyes willingly trace the curves that were highlighted in the dress she wore, enhancing her femininity while not dampening the muscles. The style was simple; thigh length with enough of a slit to catch the eye while the bodice had an elegant looking v-cut that only made the ample view even more appealing.

The pony tail was absent and once again he was favored with the natural waviness of her hair falling all around her.

Gaara was not surprised that the dress was purple though the tone was much darker; making her light skin glow and hair stand out even more.

She was gorgeous.

"I won't get to date since I won't grow up."

The words cut into Ino like a knife, and before she met too, she was kneeling on the floor in front of the girl. Opening her mouth, Ino glared at the child while throwing a hand out to slap against a surprised Gaara's chest.

"Of course you will! Don't be stupid, you can go out on a date with us!"

Rose bud lips pouted.

"Three isn't a date Ino, I'm sick not dumb."

If she wasn't so cute Ino would have throttled her, but instead she stood up and spoke while brushing off her knees.

"Well you're young enough where you still need a chaperon; don't know what guys these days do on dates. Gaara will take you out and I'll be the young maiden's bodyguard, duh!"

Turning her head to catch the frown on Gaara's face, Ino simply smiled. Ah, payback was such a bitch.

"Kazekage doesn't have time for such nonsense Ino, don't bother him."

This time Gaara beat her to it, astonishing her by reaching out a hand to rest on the small one that was above the white sheets.

"I'd be…honored to take you out, Kyoko."

All thoughts of revenge were gone as Ino watched the solitary man actually twitch his lips at the small child in a quick smile. It wasn't much reassurance, looking more forced then anything but the effect was great. Brown eyes widen with joy and the smile that accompanied them was so innocent that she felt like hissing from the brightness.

"Thank you Kazekage"

Ino didn't think she was talking about the date. Glancing at the clock, Ino abruptly leaned forward to grab Gaara's arm.

"This is just so warm and fuzzy that I might be sick but Gaara we're going to be late!"

The time in which it took him to glance at her, then the clock and magically appear at the door was record breaking but Ino paused one more time to pat the little girl on the head.

"Don't worry about your body Kyoko, just be happy and I'll fix the rest."

The petite head bobbed up and down, the usually glossy brown hair looking dull in the dark, before returning her grin.

"Okay, have fun!"

As they left the ward, Ino waving and calling out to the other children, Gaara waited until they were out of earshot before speaking.

"A date?"

Watching as she turned her luminously bright eyes on him, Gaara tried to ignore the feeling in his stomach as she answered happily.

"Some kids, adults too sometimes, just need a goal to focus on to help them get better. "

Ino felt like she needed a goal herself as they headed towards the area that was holding the party. It wasn't so much that she wouldn't know anybody; it was the problem of having to act so politically correct that might be an issue. She had gotten away with that while being around these people who disregarded such formalities but now?

"Is that medical knowledge or Ino knowledge?"

Startled, she laughed loudly before wrapping her arm through his, not really noticing what she was doing or how his eyes widen at the contact.

"No that's psychological. It's like saying 'I think I can' so much that you really believe you can and therefore actually do it. It has some official name but I can't remember it at the moment."

They fell into a short silence after he nodded his understanding. Neither felt the need to speak about their physical contact, one not wanting to acknowledge that it had been her move and one not really sure what to do.

Both were wise enough to know when to keep their mouth shut about it.

After a few minutes of being alone with her thoughts, Ino spoke again in a quieter tone. Voicing what she had been thinking.

"Do you hate these events because people stare at you?"

It was another few minutes before he replied and she could tell that he had taken it as seriously as she had intended.

"I've always been stared at."

It was like déjà vu and she tried to remember where she had heard those words before when an image came to her head. Naruto had once said those.

Before she could think of something to say in return Gaara spoke again.

Whoa, two sentences in a row, scary.

"I just don't like going."

He didn't really need to voice what was really the reason; Ino could easily guess how people who didn't fear or hate treated him. Instead of continuing down that path of conversation, Ino changed the topic. Unconsciously tightening the grip her hand on his arm in silent understanding.

"Well I hate these things too, what if someone says something rude? Am I allowed to punch people?"

When he shook his head she pouted for a second before perking back up.

"What if I just simply use one of my jutsu's to make them go insane? I wouldn't be touching them at all!"

Mildly perturbed by her line of thinking and morbidly curious to what kind of jutsu that could do such a thing, Gaara once again shook his head.

"No harming the guests."

Watching as she pouted with an exaggerated puffed out lip; he smiled slightly. She was trying to cheer him up, and although it wasn't really necessary it was still nice to know that she was trying for him. It was something he wasn't use to from anyone, and Gaara was struggling on how to respond.

"Oh alright fun-sucker, but if anyone touches me in a way I don't like, I'll break bones first and ask questions later."

He had no doubt had she would and the thought of her clobbering anyone who touches her was satisfying. Odd.

Instead of pursuing that train of thought he nodded as they caught sight of the door with two guarding shinobi.

"Fair enough."

Seeing the guards, she smiled at them with blinding brightness, startling the pair. Glancing to her left to catch emeralds looking at her, Ino laughed at the wariness that she saw there. Taking her free hand, she patted the hand she was holding in what was supposed to be mock reassurance, ignoring the even more startled looks from the guards.

"Not like you had a choice my boy, but don't worry I'll behave prettily as long as you or Temari don't completely ditch me. Survival instincts kick in you know."

Pausing at the door as the Gaara nodded to the guards to open it, Ino hummed comfortably.

"Not Kankuro?"

The dark look that crossed her face vanished as soon as the doors opened wide to admit them into a bustling crowd of ninja and government alike. He was sure he had imaged it until her soft whisper reached his ears, the dark mutter not matching the gracious smile on her face.

"He would feed me to them alive, and get money for it too."

He wasn't sure which was deadlier; the façade expression or the tone of voice.

Seeing the looks that were turning to take in the beautiful woman next to him, Gaara inwardly sighed. It was going to be a long night.

...............……………..

* * *

In reality, it wasn't a gathering of ambassadors; it was a gathering of people who wanted to measure her up. The three hours since she had stepped through the doors with Gaara Ino had yet to see any other village representatives other than her.

That wasn't the problem though.

The room was full of delicious and suspicious food but despite her grumbling stomach Ino hadn't been able to reach the long laid out buffet tables.

It seemed as if old person after old person came up to talk to her. The conversations weren't too terrible if a little stiff but it didn't stop her thighs was twitching with the urge to sprint out of here. After grabbing some food.

Damn Gaara, he had taken one look at the growing crowd and had somehow found an excuse to exchange places with his sister. She hoped he got a bunion from his sandals.

Inching closer to the person next to her, Ino whispered without bothering to conceal her desperation.

"Why are there so many old people still alive here?"

Temari's reprimanding eyes were weakened by the grin she shrugged at her, and she wanted to melt into the floor as another loud growl came from her lower half.

"These are the men on the counsel; they basically run the place after the Kazekage. Be nice."

Straightening up with a forced smiled when the sound of footsteps coming from behind her. Turning around while getting another boring-to-the-bone introduction, Ino was cut short by a plate of food being held out before her.

Temari held her breathe as Gaara offered the plate, not sure if either of them were aware of the way several eyes had been watching them since they entered the room. It might have been just for formalities sake, but she wasn't positive if either one knew how intimate they looked when they had walked in with Ino's hand casually gripping her brother's upper arm.

The stir had been silent but she had felt it ripple through the elders.

"Is this a peace offering for ditching me, traitor?"

The quiet question was luckily soft enough not to carry beyond their ears but Temari sharply glanced around just in case. Smiling easily when meeting curious eyes, she kept half an ear towards the two by her while listening for anything coming from around them.

"Perhaps, don't worry I didn't pick anything dangerous."

Looking back, Temari observed as Ino quickly took the plate and began to dig in with gusto. Glancing from the corners of her eyes, she felt something jolt when she caught the soft look in her brother's eyes as he watched the girl eat.

"Chill Ino, that food is not going to run away."

Ino barely looked up as Kankuro casually joined the group, choosing to ignore his comment in order to concentrate on her really late meal. That in itself was a feat that caught the puppeteer's attention from admiring the long legs that the dressed showed off.

"I thought you would have learned not to talk about that?"

He shrugged without care, quickly catching the way his sister's eyes were wandering from Gaara to Ino and back again. It wasn't that difficult to pick up on what she was looking at. He didn't think they realized how close they were standing, closer than necessary between the village and ambassador need to be. Nor did he think that Ino noticed how Gaara had shifted enough to where she was mostly blocked from the rest of the room.

He doubted even his brother knew what he was doing.

"God that saved my life thanks Kazekage."

Sighing with a full belly, Ino felt as if she could take on the world and gestured expansively towards the room.

"Alright, bring 'em on! I'm fully recharged and raring to go!"

When she looked back, she blinked at the empty spot that Gaara had just been standing in. Sputtering she turned wide eyes to Temari and Kankuro, who were both smirking.

"Th-that..! So fast!"

Temari nodded solemnly, gesturing to her remaining brother to bring someone else for the medic nin to meet when Ino's sly voice broke in.

"Hey, you do realize he abandoned you to babysit me too right?"

Ino met the next Suna shinobi with a sincere smile on her face as she bowed politely, not bothering to cover the sound of cracking knuckles as Temari glared at the room in search for her brother.

Kankuro simply shook his head and waited until Ino had blabbed with the man in front of them for a good while before reaching out to rest a hand on her hand, startling everyone. He could feel the tension in the woman's arm as she gave him a hard stare, not bothering to voice the threat in her stance.

It was surprising how much she did not being touched without permission but how easily it seemed that she touched others.

"Sorry to interrupt but it's hot in here huh? Maybe Yamanaka, who is not use to such a climate, would like some fresh air?"

Ino shuddering in repulsion at the polite courtesy that the big man was showing her, but nodding politely enough before letting herself be led away. Barely concealing the yank that released her arm, she followed him.

"Like being outside is going to be any better, it'll just be hotter."

Giving him a suspicious look when he simply shook his head and held the door open for her to go through first, she waited for him to answer outside on a random balcony.

It was actually pleasant out, the temperature having dropped enough to cause her to shiver in delight.

"See? Not terrible at all."

Closing her eyes in a moment of bliss as the wind was, for once, a simple breeze and not a tornado.

"Oh how I forgotten what normal weather feels like."

The room had been stuffy with odors and noises of too many people but it was so nice and quiet out here that she wondered if she could fake sickness. Course that'd look bad for a medic.

"He'll be out here soon; he always leaves for a while. It helps him concentrate."

Cocking her head to the left in order to see his closed expression, Ino wasn't sure what to make of this new development. Why did it seem like him and his sister were trying to explain everything about Gaara to her?

It was tiring.

"So?"

It was silent after that and Ino took the time to look out over the railing. Really, if one looked at Suna from angles like this the village looked like a bunch of ant hills. Sure super large ant hills but put it all into perspective.

What was amazing was how the plain rough town only seemed to enhance the stars. There were millions in the dark sky, so many that she felt as if she could stay up at them forever.

Konoha never had this many stars. The sky was obscured by trees, mountains, birds. She could almost hear Shikamaru's complaint on how it was so hard to find a good cloud watching spot that wasn't on top of a building. So troublesome or something like that, Chouji would laugh while munching on something.

It was so free here though, everything in the open. It seemed so vast and empty. Moments like this, when the hospital was quiet or when she was out from all the confusing similar looking buildings, away from the conversations and pretenses. The feeling was overwhelming.

It seemed so lonely here.

Sighing, Ino jumped when the door opened up behind her.

"Scared the shit out of me Gaara."

It took her a minute to realize that Kankuro was no longer around, when had he left? Some ninja she was indeed.

She didn't move as the young man moved up to the railing next to her.

The sun had set hours ago, leaving behind enough light to allow Ino to get a good look at the man besides her.

His red hair almost appeared black in the night; the only indication of its actual color was the red shine from the faint light. The rest of his face was pale in comparison to his older siblings, and she wondered idly if he did anything to prevent it from burning. Ino felt something in her chest tighten as she shamelessly studied his face. Gaara's eyes were such a vivid green that she could easily see why they could be so expressive. The impact made even more pronounce by the dark shadows surrounding them.

He was so beautiful.

But staring at him with the desert in the background, it only seemed to emphasize the loneliness and she felt her hand reaching out.

When he moved away Ino couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, setting her hand back down she quickly turned back.

"I…don't sleep well."

She blinked and couldn't hold back the "huh?" that escaped from her lips. Talk about change in topic.

"When I had the Shukaku in me, I didn't sleep. His…urges were strong. I still get them occasionally. When lots of people are around."

The omission was quiet, and Ino knew he wasn't used speaking personally. The vulnerability that was there but not physically shown was precious to her. It wasn't blatant but it was there; that was enough for her.

"My jutsu's are all about the mind. When I perform them I get a glimpse of how their minds work, their thoughts, feelings, are all exposed to me. Sometimes….no…most of the time they become my victims."

Gaara watched as the young woman brought her hands up to look at them as she spoke. Her voice was soft, but steady. A low tone that he absently noticed was playing havoc on his insides.

"It's funny; I've barely ever killed someone with these hands. I've destroyed souls with my mind."

Finally, he watched as she turned to look at him. He blinked at the tired smile she gave him as she continued; her hand coming down to slide underneath his on the railing, her fingers entwining between his.

It was surprising how warm her skin felt under his, it was pleasant.

"So, sometimes those minds, those destroyed people come back to haunt me."

Her smile softened as they looked at each other. For reasons unbeknownst to him, Gaara felt the urge to respond, but was lost in what to say. Should he comfort her, or just make some noncommittal noise?

Even if he had been getting better at communicating, girls were always much more complicated. Still he understood the trust that was being shared here, in telling of painful secrets, and wanted to show how much he meant to him.

Before he could decide what kind of plan of action to take, he found himself answering without thinking.

"Everyone I have killed thoughtlessly haunts me daily."

She stilled, and Gaara felt the familiar emptiness of rejection.

"Do you kill thoughtlessly now?"

Ino felt her smile widened as Gaara stared at her without blinking for several seconds before answering.

"No."

Gaara watched in bemused fascination when the beautiful face lit up with a heart stopping smile.

"Then that's good!"

Catching his puzzled expression, Ino closed her eyes and giggled helplessly knowing full well that she caught him off guard.

"You know, it just goes to show that a person really can change if they set themselves up for it!"

Turning her head back to stare out across the endless dunes, she missed the smile that briefly appeared on his lips.

She didn't miss the quick increase in pressure from his hand, and feeling the tremble that passed through his to hers had Ino smiling with a little more nerves then before.

......................

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

............................

"What time is it?"

She didn't pause in her reading, simply opting to ignore the question as she scanned the contents of the scroll. There had to be something here, just had to be. Why the hell were important medical scrolls so damn hard to get a hold of in this place!

"Time?"

It could have been the morning, or maybe the afternoon, shit it was probably nighttime but she wouldn't even know. Tossing the useless paper onto the desk Ino sighed loudly while frantically rubbing her face and irritably scratching her hair.

This must have distracted the person in the chair opposite of her because Tio's next sentence was critical.

"When was the last time you bathed? Or even left the room?"

It was a mute inquiry as he had been in her cramped office for almost as long as she had. The desk was simply clean because they had been organizing the paperwork by piles on the floor.

"You should talk; I can see the dandruff from here."

Not bothering to watch as the young chuuin vigorously shook his head in inspection; she pushed herself out of the chair and began her daily pacing through the congested isles on the floor. Absently speaking out loud as Tio turned his chair around to watch her, sadly thinking that this was all too familiar as he sighed also.

"Okay so her condition started deteriorating two week ago but in the last week it has leveled out."

Finally agitated enough, she reached up to yank the hair tie out with a fatal snap, letting the broken string fall amongst the chaos on the floor while her assistant picked up where she left off.

"The specialized solider pills that she has been taking daily help stall whatever is filling in her lungs."

He flinched when she tripped on an abandoned weapons pouch, the fact that she actually stumbled sign enough of how upset she was. So was the vicious kick that sent the poor bag sailing into the wall.

"But the problem is how unstable her chakra system is, what is causing them to close? Dammit, this would be ten times easier if her parents were still around!"

It was frustrating as all holy hell that Ino could not figure out what was killing Kyoko. The only time she left the office was to either go check on the poor little girl whose breathing sounded like she was gurgling a whole lake in her lungs or to the medical library to scrounge for possible clues.

"Arg I'm going to skin that asshole alive and feed strips of his flesh to the damn dogs!"

This was where the conversation got violent, any time when the director was brought up. From the start he had been resisting her and now that fact that he wouldn't allow her or any medics on her team into the classified scroll room that was only a door from his office. She thought at first it was because she was foreign but now Ino was almost sure he was doing it just to spite her.

Despite the fact that Kyoko could die.

"Ino….go ask the Kazekage for permission."

The low rumbling growl was enough to make him sit up straight, his normally kind brown eyes narrowing in sternness as he pointed a finger at the rage trembling blonde. He enjoyed his sempai's company, and felt lucky he was allowed to work under her; she truly was intelligent when it came to medicine.

But boy was she a stubborn boar when she wanted to be.

"You need to go ask him, now. Today. He will grant _you_ permission to most likely anything Ino. Kyoko needs a hundred percent effort from you."

It was surprising that she didn't feel the urge to leap over and rip his throat out, possibly from all the guilt and shame that was flooding through her ragged emotional system.

It wasn't that she was being stubborn necessarily; it was just the thought of what she might do if she were to go talk to the Kazekage. Every time the small red head popped unbidden in her mind, Ino felt her stomach tighten with a rarely used set of nerves.

She had been so completely happy when they had stayed outside for the remainder of the lame party. They hadn't spoken much after a while, drifting into a comfortable silence that was hinged with some kind of electricity that had been burning their entwined fingers.

Ino hadn't wanted to let go and based on the fact that Gaara hadn't she guessed the feeling had been mutual. It kind of freaked her out how much she had worried over what he thought about the whole thing; after all she wasn't even sure what was going on between them.

Still, she had a responsibility to take care of.

Watching as the beyond frazzled looking woman abruptly turned towards him, Tio stared in amazement as she sucked in enough air to puff out her cheeks before violently blowing it back out.

It was surprising that her personality had been granted into such a beautiful body, it just didn't match. Was that part of her appeal?

"Alright, alright, but you're coming with me. Let's go."

He stood up slowly, taking in her appearance with a critical eye. The long glossy locks were absent in the rats nest that occupied the area around her head – having been pulled and scratched for the last week- while the face being surrounded by it was pale from all the sleepless nights. Dark smudges circled her eyes, enough to make her resemble the person they were going to go see.

He didn't even bother taking her outfit into account, the purple clothes wrinkled and stained beyond hope.

Sighing again, he followed her out the door.

.........................

It was _not_ nerves that had her hands rubbing rapidly up and down the top of her thighs. It was_ not_ apprehension that was making her destroy her lower lip in between her teeth as she stopped in front of the large circular doors.

No, no, no!

Looking at the guard, Ino didn't bother trying to place a smile on her face, leaving the grim expression there to make a bigger impression.

"I need to speak to the Kazekage."

Tio's shuffling from behind made her want to stomp on his toes in uncalled for irritation but the reassurance of his presence was enough to stop her from being unreasonable. Really, she was in sore need of a vacation. Tsunade had better give her the fattiest bonus.

"He's busy."

The guard didn't like her; it was obvious in the way he had shifted closer to the center of the door and stared at her with dislike. It usually didn't bother Ino but the way he was staring so intensely and her current mood made it worse.

Deliberately stepping close she stared at him, equally eye to eye, and spoke slowly and low in order to get her underlying threat across. She might not be home grown but she deserved respect. She was sent to help them for god's sake!

"Look, I don't give a rat's ass if he is, go in and tell him that itty bitty Ino is going to come in whether his pissy guard likes it or not. Yeah?"

The dislike went to contempt real fast before he slipped through the doors, slamming it harshly on her face. Feeling slightly better, Ino turned back to grin at an exasperated Tio. They had been working too much together for him to be surprised at her hackle raising tactics.

So instead of chewing her out he simply raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Feel better?"

Her chuckle was much lighter. It was amazing how being a bitch helped reduce stress sometimes.

The doors opened wide – the shinobi standing in front of her to give her a full scary looking scowl. It was probably meant to intimidate her, she only smiled wider as her eyes automatically slid past angry black ones in search of the gleaming pair of emerald.

His eyebrows lifted, as if he was amazed she was still standing outside. Biting her smile, Ino patted the stiff guard's shoulder as she walked around his rather big form.

"Thanks pal, appreciate it!"

Tio simply followed, trying not to give the shaking shinobi a sympathetic look as he closed the door behind him.

Ino bounded forwards, easily hopping up onto the cluttered the desk with a small thud and scattering of paper. The man sitting behind only response was to sit back to be able to look at her without craning his neck back.

Her smiled turned a bit soft as they stared at each other. It hadn't been on purpose that they haven't seen each other since he walked her back from the party, but it felt as if they had. Looking at him now, eyes tired but sharp with that shaggy childlike rustic hair and straight posture, Ino felt the nerves melt settle for a moment as she realized that she had missed him.

Who would have thought that once-sand-demon Gaara would be a comfort?

"He hates me ya'know?"

It was funny how he could simply continue to stare at her in that direct way, it made her toes curl and pride rear at the same time. That gaze could be intense when he wanted it to be but she instinctively held it as long as she could. Not sure why, maybe it was a female pride, she didn't like to lose.

"I wonder why?"

Smiling, she widened her eyes while raising her hands in a clueless gesture that didn't fool anyone. Watching some of the tension leave his shoulders Ino swung her legs back and forth while looking around the office for a moment. It was the first time she really came into it, and the first time she was able to get a good glimpse of the interiors.

Taking in the sparse decorations she frowned a little.

"Gee Gaara; you need to spruce this place up, it kind of sucks."

Tio's snort of outrage earned him a grin from the blonde before she turned back to see Gaara eying somewhere around the top of her head. This reminding her of her current disheveled state and fought a blush of mortification.

Seeing the mild quirk of his lips she dropped the smile and jumped off the desk.

"Nice..hair."

Why was it always her hair? Did he have a personal attachment to it or something? Almost glaring when his bright eyes met hers, Ino grumpily crossed her arms. Foul mood restored.

"Well I haven't been able to go home for the past two weeks 'cause _your_ hospital director won't let me or any of my team into the authorized scrolls."

Eyes that had been wandering over her body – was he even aware of how he was looking at her? – snapped to back to Ino's face after she spoke. The gaze sharpened as he looked between her and Tio who had moved up to stand close to her as she had talked.

Glancing at the only person she truly trusted in the hospital, Ino raised her brows when she saw the expression on his face as he looked towards Gaara. She must not have been the only one to have seen how Gaara had looked at her.

Turning herself forwards again; she wandered idly if the Kazekage was prone to blatantly checking out all who came through. Was it a power play, to put fear or intimidate? Or maybe it was something else with her.

"You are not Suna, it's reasonable to not allow foreigners into such areas."

Tio was surprised when the blonde actually stuck her tongue out and blew a small raspberry when the village leader spoke. He couldn't imagine, even with her rather rambunctious personality, that Ino felt comfortable enough to do such a thing in such a presence, but then again he remembered catching some gossip on how the two were becoming close.

He wasn't sure if that irritated him or not.

"Plllllll-ease, that's a bunch of bull Gaara. I know I might not be but my medics? They are definitely lizards."

The odd term was taken in stride by the Kazekage as Tio stepped back a foot to look back between them. It was strange but the way the tall slender blonde was casually leaning over the desk while the redhead was sitting back in his chair, their eyes rarely leaving the others as they bantered; it felt as if he was intruding on some private discussion.

"Why do you need permission?"

Ino stared at him in shock before slowly standing straight. This brought Tio back to her side from wherever he went, and in response Gaara reacted by narrowing his eyes and straightening up in his chair. Did he not really know?

"Kazekage, we have been sending you reports, have you not being getting them?"

It was the first time Tio spoke, but she didn't mind as she continued to watch the man in front of her. This was an odd feeling beginning to tingle in the back of her mind but Ino wasn't sure what the cause was.

His voice was low as his leaned forward and it panged her to see the coldness seeping back into his eyes.

"What reports?"

Feeling exhausted, Ino dropped of pretenses of play, showing both men her ability to become serious when the time called for it. She was a kunoichi, and from experience in working alongside Sakura for the Hokage, she knew that some mistakes could be fatal.

Stalling either from speaking with a raised hand, something that had Gaara raising his eyebrows again, Ino looked at him hard for a moment before closing her eyes.

After a moment she opened them, a twisted scowl on her full lips.

"When I get back I want a freakin' raise!"

That wasn't what they expected and Tio agitatedly nudged her with his elbow.

"Ino, focus, reports."

Turning her less than attractive expression on him, she threw a light punch towards his chest which his swatted away with a loose palm. Neither noticed how the byplay brought a different frown to the watching man's face.

"I know stupid! If you would focus for a minute, you would understand why I did that!"

This caught his attention and he paused for a moment to concentrate before shrugging. Gaara simply caught Ino's eyes before speaking in the same chilling quiet tone.

"I'll deal with him later, tell me about the reports."

Taking a deep breath, she ignored the emotions that rose at the command. That was something she would examine later. Still, she wasn't one to be bossed around easily; sitting back on the edge of the desk she ran a tired hand through her hair before answering.

"Your date's health began to drop dangerously two weeks ago. Liquid began filling her lungs and her chakra points were shutting down completely, both are obviously life threatening. When we abstracted some of the liquid from her lungs, it turned out to be some strange clear stuff, haven't been able to properly place it yet."

Ino paused for a minute to collect the rest of what she wanted to say.

"I'm not as good with pharmaceuticals as Sakura, she's even better than Tsunade at the stuff, and I don't have the Nara's knowledge. Luckily Tio and I were able to create something akin to a solider pill that, for some reason, stopped anymore filling of her lungs. "

Gaara saw the conflict of failure and success on her face; the memory of her explaining why she didn't like working on kids echoing in his head as her voice grew rough.

"The chakra though, I don't get that at all. It's a vital balancing point for the body, so why is a child's system self-destructing? The thing is that some opened up after they shut down, that shouldn't happen."

She fell silent, encasing the office in a dark pause as each person took time to sort out their thoughts. Gaara carefully took in each piece of information she gave him, his eyes watching her as she sighed heavily, slouching on his desk. It was unusually to have such a close connection with someone; of course he had those with his brother, sister, Matsuri, and even a bit with Baki.

With Ino though, he felt as if it was something _more_. Whatever the meant.

"What else?"

Tio watched as Ino lifted her head up to give the Kazekage an expression that appeared to be torn between uneasiness and affection. Both were unnerving to the Chuuin, he was starting to believe that maybe the rumors weren't as far off as he had thought. Affection, towards someone who had once carried a demon?

"I have.." her stormy eyes darted around before she slowly smiled, "..busy tonight?"

Tio's choked gargle was ignored as Gaara shook his head.

"No."

Ino was suddenly all business, briskly rubbing her hands together while sliding off the desk and heading towards the door with Tio trailing afterward with a confused expression on his face. She paused at the door, looking back to see Gaara still staring at her waiting for her to finish whatever she was scheming.

It was scary how he knew.

"Stop by my place later tonight, it'll be fun."

She pushed open the door – catching the shinobi outside off guard- when Gaara's soft voice reached her ears. Which reddened slightly at what he said.

"Don't forget clothes."

Looking up to see two wide expressions of shock on Tio and the shinobi's face, Ino felt a twinge of embarrassment. They probably thought something, dear god, sexual was going on between them, which made her feel alarmed at such a thought. Shaking off the feelings Ino glanced back to catch the look that passed over Gaara's face.

Oh boy, they were in trouble.

"Just don't forget dinner, and nothing from an animal that shouldn't be eaten."

..............................

Gaara left the Kazekage office late in the evening, having finally dropped whatever he was doing and just leaving. Usually he would just stay until Kankuro or Temari came to yell at him for not getting enough sleep, generally Temari, before he made the pretense of going to bed.

Now, he was walking in the opposite direction of his room, heading towards the guest wings with a bag of food he had picked up. It was bizarre how much he's been down these corridors; heading towards the Konoha Kunoichi's room.

Ino.

Just thinking of the woman brought her image to his mind. From the time she had gotten here to now, the sassy blonde had been full of surprises. It wasn't just her way of handling things, sassy and flirtatious one moment to cold and dangerous the next, it was the way she would just say things how she saw them.

You would think that'd be a bad thing to have as a character attribute, but it seemed to work for her.

She was a friend, even that wasn't hard for him to admit. Her easy acceptance was a sweet tasting change from the almost grudging allowance that came from the council. Ino didn't try and act like she understood his issues. No, the woman just exchanged a little of herself instead, as if to ease the burden of his secrets by sharing her own.

Reaching the door, he knocked once before stepping back to wait.

The main problem was how there seemed to be something always underlying their combined presence.

Gaara was not knowledgeable about women for several reasons. First, obviously, was the fact that most of his life had been sheltered and shunned. Second was Shukaku eating away at him for just as long, leaving nothing but bloodlust towards most humans. Third, it just wasn't something he was around a lot.

He wasn't like Naruto, who had fought against isolating loneliness by being as loud and outgoing as possible. If anything he had done the opposite by becoming reclusive and personably timid.

That didn't mean he was naïve though. Just inexperienced.

The door opened to show him a fully dressed and excited Ino

"Thank the heavens! You are seriously my hero, I'm starving!"

Ino waved him instead before shutting the door. She felt refreshed and bubbly from her bath. Taking the offered bag that held something delicious smelling, she headed towards the small table in the room, letting him trail behind her if he wanted too.

"Feel free to collapse wherever you want, you look like crap by the way, long day?"

She glanced around to see him slowly slip off the gourd that habitually accompanied him almost everywhere before sitting with his back resting against the edge of her bed. He really did look tired. His head was back and eyes closed as she puttered around in the small kitchenette area.

Hunting for something suitable to use as plates, she continued in the easy flow of his comforting silence.

"I bet it is, the paperwork alone would dent anyone's ambition for kage hood."

Giving up the search, Ino took out the boxes of what was the equivalent of take-out and began to set it out for a free-for-all dinner. Hope cooties wasn't a phobia of his.

"They don't mention it till afterwards."

Snorting at his response, she carried the stuff out towards where he was sitting, simply kicking the table until it was in front of him before setting the food down. His eyes opened to watch her suspiciously poke in the boxes with chopsticks before speaking.

"It's safe."

She didn't wait for him to finish before digging in. Juicy noodles filled her mouth with spices, and she closed her eyes and groaned. Picking up more she sang towards her utensils.

"Ah food, it's been so long!"

Ino stuffed her face for a few minutes till Gaara's lack of participation found her attention. Pausing in her binging process, she looked at him in curiosity. He had just been watching her or looking towards the wall since he sat down.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

Watching as his gaze drifted to her, Ino wondered if she should just hold off on talking to him till he got some rest but then that would mean she would have to sleep too. That was something she didn't want to happen right away.

"I'm not hungry."

Nodding without a fuss, she slowed down her pace in order to talk between bites.

"I told you I don't like working with kids."

His gaze sharpened on her, letting her know he was listening despite his weary appearance. It also gave her some sense of comfort in knowing she had his entire attention.

"I..have a theory or two about Kyoko's odd as hell condition but I didn't want to discuss when people were eavesdropping."

The dark look that passed over his face was all she needed to see to know that the guard had been punished for listening in on their earlier conversation. Serves him right too, hmph.

"About her chakra?"

Nodding with noodles hanging out of her mouth, she slurped them loudly before setting her chopsticks down and picking up the tea she had made. It was minty and rare in Suna; she loved it, a small piece of home that she had brought.

"Yes the lungs are weird but probably fixable with time and treatment, though still very serious. The chakra though, that's something I've never seen or even read about. Gaara, I need to see if she has family records."

Blowing into her cup to cool the steam she waited as he thought it over. One thing that could always be said about Gaara was that he did not make hasty decisions.

"For a possibly kekkei genkai?"

Smart cookie too, she nodded with a small smile, taking a sip before replying.

"Yes, what if her chakra was able to close and open upon random? That would be a great advantage if she learned to somehow close a spot about to be hit and pulse the chakra to another spot to double that strength. It's all just theory though, she's had minimal training, so it's hard to tell."

He stared at the wall in front of him before nodding.

"Makes sense, but the reports."

Setting down the cup Ino flopped back to lie on the floor with a frown.

"That's a mystery to me, we've been sending them to you since the whole thing started. So my guess would be someone has been interfering, what I want to know is why."

It didn't settle right with her that someone has been meddling in her affairs, and the fact that they were only stopping her from communicating with the Kazekage was something that had Ino thinking it was about Kyoko.

"Could someone have already thought of the kekkei genkai?"

Twisting her head to look at him, she nodded absently while taking in their positions. It was like she was hanging out with Chouji or Shikamaru instead of the Kazekage of Suna. No, Ino thought, it wasn't quite like that; she had never wanted to move closer to her teammates or run her fingers through their hair.

This was where her thoughts and feeling started getting complicated; did she really want to act on how she felt? Should she listen to the small portion of her mind that was rational?

When he turned his eyes to meet hers, Ino froze before making up her mind. Sitting up she crawled over, pausing only to push the small table out of the way, before kneeling in between his legs. Gaara's eyes had widened when she settled into her new spot but hadn't made any other movement. She wasn't even sure he knew what to do.

Smiling, she held their gaze while slowly stretching out a tentative hand.

"May I? I've always wanted too."

Her sweet tone was enough to make him nervous, but he gamely nodded his head. Soft slender fingers began to run themselves through his hair, soothing and calm as he watched the face close to his relax and soften. He had to resist the urge to let his eyes close.

"We need to guard Kyoko, if someone thinks she had a bloodline limit then she is in danger because a special chakra ability is always valued."

Ino almost jumped when Gaara's hand reached out to lightly grip her hips, pulling her entire body until they were only inches apart. They rested there like feathers as his eyes fluttered a few times before falling shut.

Whew, talk about nerve wracking. Her stomach was doing funny flip-flops while her heart began to race.

"That feels….nice."

The whisper melted her down to the bones. Did it matter if what they were doing was wrong? Right now, being encased between his legs and arms, Ino felt something she had never felt before. Protected.

Bringing up her other hand to sheath itself in his soft hair, Ino trailed her index finger down until it touched the edge of his self made tattoo, making him jump and open his eyes. Staring back, she couldn't find her voice – whispering as if it hurt to speak.

"Does it still hurt?"

Looking into her wide limpid eyes, the blue dark in the evening light, Gaara felt his right hand move from her waist to gently encircle around her wrist, pressing her entire palm against the scar.

Closing his eyes again, his response was just as tight and quiet.

"No, not anymore."

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A/N: *fidget fidget* oh boy oh boy, a first real physical interaction. How was it? Okay? Too out of character (for Gaara ..shit he's hard but fun to write)? In character?

I hope the plot is not confusing -.- I apologize if it is.

You know, I try to space things out but fanfict and my document aren't being very helpful. So sorry for the crampness again. -.-'''


	11. Chapter 11

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Temari was not prone to actions of niceness; she had to be a tough bitch every day of her life just to keep the respect of her village.

That being said, she did have a teeny bit of kindness.

From what she's seen from bringing in wounded trainees in the last couple of weeks was that Ino was becoming a ghost in the hospital; flittering around back from her office to the child's ward while dabbling in the other areas when she had a nonexistent second to spare.

She didn't have to ask her brothers to know that the blonde was also a ghost in the rest of the village, and according from the nurse at the front desk, her newly assigned assistant was the same. The young woman hadn't been specific but she had mentioned something about searching the entire library for some kind of cure.

So, being the handy friend she was, Temari decided that'd she would stop by the Yamanaka's place and drop off some sweet dangos and maybe some lively conversation.

It wasn't something she's done before, but it was the first real friendship with another girl she's ever had. Most of the time whatever could have been was destroyed by the competitiveness of other kunoichi in getting the best missions or positions.

Any other close friends were her brothers, Baki (in a teacher-ish kind of way) and some guys from Konoha.

It was nice to have a girl to talk too.

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Ino wasn't sure whose face was hotter, her flaming one or Gaara's naturally warm one. Either way she thought she'd might simultaneously combust.

Her hand had gone from being gently pressed against his tattoo to cupping his cheek. His hold on her wrist hadn't loosened but not restrained either. Fathomless eyes the color of Konoha's leaves were penetrating into hers as Ino tried to remember how to swallow properly.

It didn't help that his other hand was still on her waist, not moving but its presence alone was a distraction.

The time seemed to have slowed down as their breath mingled together, sending erratic thoughts through her mind.

Thank god for minty tea, at least?

"Gaara?"

Redundant to speak his name, but Ino couldn't handle the silence anymore. It was stifling in the sense that for once, she wasn't smiling or laughing because this was real to her.

Licking her dry lips she let go of his face to twist her hand around until his was between hers. It was almost feverish to touch and she wondered temporarily if it was from acclimating to such a hot area.

"Can…I kiss you?"

Maybe her brain was blistering. Not knowing why she asked- who asked nowadays anyway?- Ino stared wide eyed as Gaara froze with a wide eyed expression of disbelief on his face. Oh shit.

Awkward, awkward, the mantra sung high over and over in her head as she tried to think of away to diffuse the shell shock that was installed in the air.

"You want too?"

His voice was so stunned that it had not been in a whisper, causing her to flinch unnecessarily. It wasn't like he shouted but she couldn't help it, blame the damn nerves. Then it finally caught up to her. Had he never been kissed?

A bit shocked herself, Ino sat back a bit and stared curiously at him with her head tilted.

"Why wouldn't I?"

His eyes narrowed back to normal as the astonishment wore off a bit. In between hers, his hand twitched. Had she offended him?

"Who would want too?"

This caught her wholly off guard, and before she full thought of it Ino dropped her hands to stare blankly at him. Did he mean what happened with the sand demon, Shukaku? His voice telling her about how he couldn't sleep because of the people surfaced in her mind as Gaara's face shut down.

This led to thoughts of a touch less childhood, with no love and only hate. Incredibly lonely.

With sudden decision Ino leaned forward until their faces were inches apart. To his credit, Gaara didn't move a muscle. Man had a good poker face. Not that it helped her any, a twitch or something would have been very beneficial at this moment.

"I'm going to kiss you, and then tell you how stupid that question was."

It wasn't anything out of the world, or fireworks shooting out of their heads. She didn't pounce or do anything remotely Ino-ish. It was just simple and innocent.

Ino closed the gap between them, her lips pressing lightly against his for a few seconds before her courage died and she drew back.

Her chest felt tight with an emotion she could only relate to the feeling of wanting to cry, though she was sure it wasn't that she wanted too. Though, her heart was pounding so hard she thought she was going into a cardiac arrest. One of her fisted hands unconsciously came up to rest on the spot where she felt the erratic thumping in her chest.

Sitting back, she watched as the man adjusted to what just happened. His hand had lifted to touch his lips, eyes a little wider than usual as they stared at her. Like a girl who had her first kiss.

The thought made her crack a smile.

"Totally stupid. Look, I haven't even turned to stone or anything."

She frowned when his expression didn't change; in fact it was like _he_ had been the one who turned to stone. Feeling a bit nervous again, she swallowed hard before speaking quietly.

"Too much?"

Then his expression shifted, as if a rock was thrown in a pond, ripples of numerous thoughts crossing his face as he reached out to touch her but stopped midair. Ino saw pain, surprise (dare she say wonder?), uncertainty, and loneliness. Leaning back more to give him more space, she wasn't surprised when he didn't try to stop her.

"I'm not..use to this."

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It was halfway down the hallway when Temari sensed a familiar chakra signature, two in fact. Instantly putting a damper on hers, she continued towards the room at a slower a pace. It was close to midnight, why would they be there?

It was a surprise when she caught Kankuro's hasty headshake and finger to lips when she reached the space in front of the door.

Giving him a 'what-the-hell' look, she nonetheless kept her mouth and chakra silent as she listened to what was going on inside. Casually thinking that her brother would be dead if this was some gross pervert act of his.

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"Never? Surely Temari and Kankuro.."

Trailing off at the shake of his head, Ino felt something akin to horror roll through her gut at the thought. Never hugged or kissed on the cheek? She did those things daily to Shikamaru, Chouji, and Asuma. Hell, she was hugging everyone back at home; it was just how she was.

"But you guys are close now, so it'll happen."

Again with the slow head shake but before she could protest Gaara spoke, his gravelly voice seemed to be loud in the quiet room.

"Some fear becomes ingrained."

Frowning now, Ino stood up to walk around the room leaving Gaara on the floor to watch. The pacing was beginning to wear after having done it so much in her office but she just couldn't keep still.

"I think you underestimate how much closer you've gotten to them, Gaara. Temari always touches your shoulder before leaving. Kankuro, well he's an idiot male and generally males don't show physical affection towards other males. Some kind of male pride thing, but the way he always looks for you when he returns is something."

What was agitating her the most was the fact that Ino felt a slice of guilt that went bone marrow deep. A child growing up in a basically loveless situation, alone to survive somehow in a cruel world of death. Growing up with other children turning away.

It was shameful to know that she had inadvertently been a part of a child's nightmare.

Burned, it just burned to know that what she had ignored about Naruto was happening in other villages, and in worse ways. Did all Jinchuuriki go through such terrible lives?

On a whim, she twirled around and picked up the tray of food and tea. Carrying them over to the sink she began to compulsively scrub and scrub. Here she was, kissing Kazekage's and doing the damn dishes. What was she thinking, this had trouble sprawled all over it. Feelings weren't meant for foreigners, people who could one day turn against her village. Again

One day she could be ordered to kill one of them.

But here Ino was, having feelings stirred that shouldn't and making close friends with everyone that didn't have a stick shoved up their rears. Oh what would Shikamaru do?

She jumped a foot into the air when a hand reached around her to grab the cup she had been scrubbing cracks into for the past five minutes. Slipping from her hands, it landed into the soapy sink with a crash.

"What am I doing?"

Closing her eyes and bowing her head, Ino tried to take deep breathes while ignoring the presence that was standing so close she could feel his heat enclosing around her body. Which was like ignoring a mountain lion. His warm breath on her neck sent shivers down her spine and Ino wished for a distraction from her reaction.

And just like that, his overwhelming presence was gone from behind her. Turning to look she saw that he had crossed the room and was slipping back on the gourd. It might have been her imagination that made it seem like his movements were jerkier than usual but she couldn't confirm it because of a sudden knock on the door.

As they both looked over, eyes meeting with a jolt to his stomach, Gaara watched as Ino frowned with a pout of her lips.

"You invite others?"

When she saw his head shake, the frown increased as they both thought the same thing. Guy who's been keeping the records? If so, that would seriously narrow down the list of suspects.

Watching as she headed towards the door, Gaara felt a sudden apprehension and cut her off before she made it. This caused him to receive a confused look from the blonde that he ignored. Few things were precious to him, all of them were people, and he was sure to keep them safe.

Was she really precious to him?

With a murmured "I'll get it." Gaara swung open the door just in time to see his siblings grinning sheepishly as he felt their chakra be uncovered.

"What the hell, am I expected to host the whole family when I invite one?"

Ino couldn't have been more relieved, truth be told. It was increasingly hard to stay away from the young man standing next to her. What drew her to him? It wasn't sympathy because Ino didn't ever really feel sympathetic.

Desire? That would be understandable, he was attracted in a reddish quiet way, but that wasn't what had started whatever was being growing between them.

Oh save it Ino, she mentally chided herself; she knew perfectly well what was going on. It was just the hyperventilation and uncertainty that had her wishing she didn't know.

"I thought I'd bring you some sweet dango, but apparently there's already some sugary stuff going on here."

Temari's grin wasn't as sharp as usual, causing worms to wiggle in Ino's stomach as she tried not to fidget like a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Oh god, now Gaara was a cookie jar?

It was serious enough, when they all noticed how the blonde's eyes turned blank and carefully stayed away from the red head. Who was also feeling a bit unsteady but at least he latched onto something that he felt he could handle.

"We were discussing something you two need to know."

Ino waved a hand to indicate that they should all troop back inside her apartment, feeling a bit guilty as Temari absently handed her the bag of food. It was a surprisingly friendly gesture, usually Temari just took her outside and beat her senseless when she wanted company, and the thought that the girl had been trying to ease Ino was sweet.

Ino only knew too well how bad friendships can be damaged or destroyed in their line of work. It only made the intention dearer.

Looking up she caught dark searching eyes from an unusually quiet Kankuro. There it was again, the way they could speak sentences without even parting their lips. Seeing the promise of harm splintering with some kind of hope, Ino bit her lower lip and hastily turned away.

She didn't want any more hope put on her shoulders.

There was a moment of silence where they sat quiet in a rough circle on the floor, Kankuro seating himself on his younger brother's right side while Temari sprawled out between Gaara and Ino. The siblings didn't want to bring up something they weren't suppose to have heard, and Ino didn't want to think about how Gaara was about to leave.

Tapping her fingers impatiently, she had just been about to spout some rubbish to ruin the tension when Gaara beat her to it.

"Ino's medical reports on Kyoko's condition never made it to me."

Straight to the point, she felt pleased warmth towards the curt cut-to-the-chase that he delivered.

"And Tio, don't forget my handy dandy helper."

The look the siblings sent her was almost all identical in their expressions of 'please, be a bit mature' She pouted a bit.

"Who has been receiving them then?"

Kankuro hand had reached up to push the hood off of his shaggy hair. Temari simply rolled over onto her back, a seemingly defenseless position that actually gave her a good advantage of countering any sudden attacks. Talk about never relaxing in their own home.

"More like stealing. When I went to ask the secretary what they had been up too all I got was that they were reading the whole resource library for something."

Blanching at the reminder of how much more they had to go Ino glanced at the small circular window, not much help there, before turning back. Always brown stuff clogging her view.

"We didn't want to advertise what we were specifically looking for, hence the big pain in the ass search of everything. I feel uncomfortable without Tio here."

It was honest, the man kept track of stuff she tended to forget about, but the reaction that followed had her quickly continuing. Temari had looked at Gaara and Kankuro had simply froze. Gaara had stilled without seeming to move a muscle. Something that had to be a practiced skill, like a rattle for a snake except his rattle was the way his power subtly began filling the area around him while he stayed motionless.

Ino felt like punching him.

"Okay, ignoring the testosterone in here, Tio has been on the job since the beginning and remembers stuff I don't. Moving on. I have a theory that Kyoko has a bloodline limit but since she is an orphan and Gaara's hospital director won't let any of my team members into the holy restricted section we can't see if she has any records to help confirm."

The air became a little easier to breathe; Temari finally looked at Ino with a furrowed brow.

"A kekkei genkai that is killing her, not a very good one then."

Ino shook her head even as she started to answer, her eyes finding Gaara's before drifting away in thought.

"That's not always true. Some can kill those who aren't strong enough but that can be said about simple clan jutsu's too, like um..the Aburame's for instance. But there are some blood limits that start off killing the body while they grow and mature, then if the person outlast the change then they can become incredibly strong with the heighten what not."

At this she waved casually to Gaara, who looked slightly confused at the gesture.

"Gaara fought a rare case that could happen if the person's _will_ is strong enough to overtake the pain of not having a strong body that withstood the change."

They all turned to stare at him as he thought it over before speaking in his gravelly throat.

"He was very strong."

Ino nodded while taking her index fingers and setting them against her temples in illustration.

"Yes, Kimimaro was surprisingly strong despite his deteriorating body. Reading from the reports about that battle I could guess that Orchimaru had probably given him drugs to help the pain, allowing him to ignore it enough to fight Lee and then you. Still, it had cost him his life in the end. That Corpse Pathway was a _very_ strong kekkei genkai, also a _very_ demanding one too. It took his devotion to snake man to give it his all."

Dropping her hands to poke at her ribs, Ino ignored the questions in their eyes, continuing her lecture.

"Kyoko's possible limit _could_ being able to shut down one chakra point and send that chakra to double another point then be able to open it back up. Just think, in a battle she could easily never have damaged chakra because she'd simply switch it all around. Very handy that'd be, especially if she is later able to reverse it to use on an opponent."

This was followed by a short contemplative pause as they each thought it over. Ino had almost mentioned the Hyuuga's but stopped herself. Ninja secrecy had caught her, not that it mattered; she had a feeling that Neji or Hinata would somehow find a way to defeat a person with such a skill anyway. She was being really honest when she said a strong will was more powerful.

Not that Gaara needed to know that, he was a living example.

"Chakra balance is important though."

Temari's slow statement caught Ino's wandering mind, looking back at the other blonde she nodded with a small frown. This is where it all gets tricky.

"Yes, we saw in the Chuuin exams," here sent uneasy glances to their brother but Ino just rolled her eyes and pushed on, "how having too much chakra cut off could be fatal. This was in the fight between Hinata and Neji."

They all nodded at this, like obedient students and Ino almost smiled at the thought of being their sensei. Kankuro didn't raise his hand though when he spoke.

"So right now her body is..?"

This was where Tio would be helpful but she knew better then to mention him again, or maybe she didn't.

"Tio has more boring details but basically we _think_ her chakra is changing from whatever genetic quirk that gives it the ability to easily switch and stuff. This is creating complete unbalance in her body right now, and for some reason fluid is filling her lungs. No idea if that is a side effect or something, _being as we can't look for past records._"

Temari was the one to roll her eyes at past part of Ino's speech, but turned to speak to her brother instead. Gaara's face had lost the haunted look he got whenever he thought of the exams, and was now simply thoughtful.

"That would be really valuable if she survived and now someone who has been intercepting the reports knows about it."

He nodded but kept quiet, knowing Kankuro would be the next to put his two cent in the discussion.

"There aren't any other outsiders here right now other than Ino and why would she intercept what she wrote herself? So that leaves someone in the village. Someone sand."

Ino tried to look offended at being talked about as if she wasn't there but decided to let them play out their thoughts. She was tired, and all the hints of conspiracy was making her head spin. She was used to recon with team ten but politics was much more complicated.

"Have we any merchants or traders in recently, new ones?"

Gaara's question had her staring at him. Temari had caught on fast though, sitting up with all pretense of relaxation gone as she looked at her brother.

"A few, some food and one weaponry dealer. We checked them though and it seemed cleared."

The red head nodded as he stared down at his hands that dangled between his raised knees. It was a beguiling position that made Ino want to crawl between his legs and touch his face……

What the hell! Focus woman!

"Might be more than one person, if Ino's theory proves correct."

Kankuro was looking at her with a rather unusual expression of deep thought on his face. Not bothering to blink much, she simply stared back at him.

"What if there are no records, what will you do then?"

Abruptly tired of all power plays, Ino sighed loudly enough to have Gaara raise his head to look at his brother. Flopping back to stretch her asleep legs out in front of her, she scowled at a scar on one of her kneecaps.

"Hell if I know, I don't do human experiments. So we're putting a lot on those stupid records. If that's not helpful then I'm going to focus on simply getting her to survive and worry about the complications later."

That was really the toss of the coin. Tsunade had once brought her and Sakura to her office to give them a 'small talk' about experimenting. The tortured expression of comradely affection and betrayal on her ageless face as she spoke was enough to make a permanent mark on the two chuuin. It was common knowledge on how Orchimaru used humans for experiments and how Tsunade was against such a thing.

At the time she had remembering thinking of how the busty blonde and small strawberry forehead had that one thing in common; one member of their teams had done something unforgivable but a small part of them would still love them.

Ino wasn't a fool to not realize how lucky she was with Shikamaru and Chouji.

"You are allowed I'll write the formal permission tomorrow. Temari have Matsuri and her team meet me in my office in the morning. I will put them on the mission of hunting for whoever is stealing official documents. You and Kankuro take some guards and create a rotation of watching the child ward perimeter."

Listening as the Kazekage gave orders, she felt her limbs become lethargic with prolong exhaustion. She was used to feeling the bone deep tiredness that tugged at the edge of her consciousness, having been on twenty-four hour call back home in Hokage, but there she had other shinobi medics to trust.

Here she felt cut off and alone.

Shaking off the dose of homesickness, she blinked slowly as Temari and Kankuro both stood up. Obviously to them the meeting was over. Thank god, now she can sleep!

"Ino, you and your team will meet with me tomorrow at the large training ground."

This caught all of their attention, Ino concentrated on him as she followed up from the ground as he stood up.

"Why?"

She had a suspicious nagging in the back of her mind that this Kazekage was a bit possessive, something she frowned at. It was even worse because she didn't think he even knew.

"I want to see the full extent of your team's abilities in case of an attack."

This had her tensing like a cat, ready to defend her temporary team even if it was to the leader of the village.

"We might be medics but we can take care of ourselves Gaara!"

They were at the door, Temari and Kankuro watching from the hallway as she faced Gaara down. She had been expecting him to shut down, turn into The Kazekage of Suna, but was astonished when he gave her a small tilt of his lips as he leaned in to invade her space.

"Than a mock battle with me shouldn't be a problem."

His voice, so close to her lips, sent unfair jilts down her tummy as she narrowed her eyes at him. Maybe he wasn't as unprepared about them as she had first thought. Or he could just be teasing her.

Feeling decidedly put out, she followed him out to the doorframe, her hands tight on the wood.

"Then it shouldn't be a problem when we smack you down a few notches! And don't think tonight will affect me, I won't go easy on you! Reptile!"

This sent interested eyes of the two she had forgotten were there to gaze between her and Gaara as he turned away. He hadn't smiled but his eyes had shown her that he was thinking of earlier too. The thought of him thinking about that gave her pause, was she happy he was?

Oh damn, she was really happy about that.

"Be there early."

Waiting until they were out of sight before she went back into her apartment with a soft slam of her door. Ino staggered to collapse on her bed, the edge smelling distinctly like a certain somone.

"Urg…"

Rolling away, Ino listened to the wind howling outside the building, waiting for sleep to come take her away. Wishing that she could howl herself.

Infuriating red heads.

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A/N: so much talk in this chapter...and awkwardness...

So I'll admit, Gaara/Ino is going to be a slow romance,'cause I like that idea much better than them suddenly climbing each other's frames lol.

Later on, there is going to be much darker content. Hence the highest rating, just in case.

Honestly, this is the first fanfic that I am actually pre-planning the plot, which I think makes it better than my others. Instead of just shooting the gun as I go, I got plans and pre-written important parts. This makes it easier to update, lol.

On reviews, I've been trying to start and responding to those who have accounts on here. So if I don't get to you I'm sorry but thank you!

Anyway, stay tuned and review!


	12. Chapter 12

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A/N: Just wanted to say thanks for all the reviews (including the future ones ;) ) So I have been on a music binge lately and found what has almost become this story's theme, only because it's stuck on repeat while I write anything with Gaara or Ino. Its "Eye Alaska- All Hail the High Sea" check it out, it's good.

Another thing, I know some of you are itching for a good steamy scene between our brassy blonde and lizard. it'll be a while yet, but that doesn't mean there aren't any curl-your-toes moments. Good comes to those who wait, lol =P

Anyway, read and hopefull enjoy.

Oh, and I apologize for any mistakes in here. 1:44 A.M does that. and I was too impatient to wait and re-read it a few more times.

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Getting up at the butt crack of dawn was asking too much of her, but remembering the way his eyes had lit up at her confidence had Ino rolling out of her bed.

That attractive jerk.

Hearing the person outside of her door knock again, she trudged to go open it, knowing who was standing outside. It wasn't that hard to guess since she had somewhat been expecting a visit before the match anyway.

Opening the door to reveal a rather _too_ awake Temari, Ino groaned anyway and began to retreat.

"What do you want?"

Knowing the other woman wouldn't take offense to her rude behavior, Ino waved to casually invite her to do whatever she wanted as she walked to the bathroom to get ready.

"Just wanted to chat a bit before you get pummeled by a possible love interest."

Choking on toothpaste, Ino leaned back to glare at the blonde with white spit dripping out of the corner of her mouth that held her toothbrush.

"whuf you jud ay?"

This was not something she wanted to start her day talking about, especially since the subject was still so new and surreal. Had she really touched and kissed Gaara last night? A part of her had hoped it was just exhaustion causing hallucinations.

And who the hell was going to get pummeled?

"Don't try and act ignorant Ino, we can see it in the way you gravitate to him and how he always watches you."

Her face, minus foaming mouth, must have looked alarmed because Temari quickly came over to calm her down. Her slanted teal eyes looking both amused and worried as she touch Ino's shoulder for a second.

"You can talk to me, it's okay…..but you might want to spit that out before you actually choke."

Obliging her suggestion by thoroughly getting rid of the minty paste, Ino took a moment to clear her thoughts as she bent to splash water onto her face. Temari had backed off as soon as she saw that Ino wasn't going to do anything drastic, like shove the toothbrush into her eye or down her throat, and waited for the girl to feel comfortable.

"Gaara..his reactions shouldn't affect me so much."

This was a whisper barely heard over the water, but Temari caught the arrested look on the woman's face before she brought up a towel to pat it dry.

"I must be sick or something, this isn't like me. Putting conflicting feelings like this while on a job."

It hurt to listen to the girl basically say having feelings for her brother was a problem but Temari knew exactly how she felt and hesitated before plunging ahead.

"Yeah, I know how that feels. Having romantic indecisions while on a job, in a foreign village no less."

A big blue eye peered out from the towel, probing the implications behind Temari's words before disappearing again. The short pause of consideration said enough of Ino's restraint on the subject.

She was a firm believer that people in an intimate relationship should have only them in it, and not have interfering neighbors. This didn't mean to say that she didn't have a problem giving recycled advice or even a punch in the kidney when they asked for it, just meant that something private should be private.

Lost in her thoughts while fixing her long hair, Ino almost missed Temari when the woman spoke again.

"We don't live long enough to have time worrying about technicalities."

Pulling her hair with one final tightening tug, Ino turned to walk past her friend towards the weapons pouch that waited on the bed.

"Before she died, my mom always said 'kiss the man you want, kick the man you love, and make sure to never leave angry' of course she usually sucker punched my dad when he pissed her off."

Smiling as she doubled checked the pack; Ino looked up to twinkle at Temari as they headed towards the door.

"So let me go kick some Kazekage ass and then we'll see what happens."

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Her team looked scared. Well, to be fair they didn't look scared shitless, just enough of healthy apprehension at being personally tested by the feared and awed leader that had saved their village.

Ino, personally, didn't see what the big deal was.

"Come on guys, he's not much of a boogeyman."

In fact, he was nothing like a boogey at all though definitely a man. Even after hearing and witnessing some of his more psychotic moments in the Chuuin exam, and later hearing about his transformation Ino thought he still looked impressive.

A feat considering he hadn't grown much taller.

The armor that had been cleverly disguised beneath his usual Kaze robes was now snug over the crimson fighting gear he had donned. The huge gourd strapped securely on while he took the common cross armed pose across the field of them.

She had no doubt that he could hear what they were saying; the small smirk she could barely make out was enough to let her know she was right.

"Ino! Be respectful to the Kazekage!"

Grimacing she turned to take in how they really were holding up. It was interesting to see her students outside of medic's uniforms.

Tio looked composed if not entirely calm, his hands at an odd angle while casually resting behind his back. He had shown up wearing tight loose fitting capris, something she mentally filed away for later teasing, some material over his chest that she could only describe as some kind of jerkin.

Kira was wearing something that surprisingly reminded her of Sai, except it was a nasty color to match the sand. Ick. His weapon looked like a wicked sickle on a long chain and she hoped he knew how to actually use it.

Risa, who had shown up only minutes after she had, was in a slitted skirt that would have hung around her upper thighs if it was being constantly pulled down. Her tank wasn't much to protect either and the only thing stopping everybody from getting a peek at some under view of her breasts were the black wrappings that went just that far. Ino wasn't quite sure what her weapon was, hadn't bothered reading up on them, but the black wraps around her thighs might have something to do with some sort of daggers or kunai.

She frankly didn't have a lot of hope for the young girl, her attitude from the last mission still leaving a bitter taste in Ino's mouth whenever she thought of it.

Still, she believed in redemption; and teamwork would never be successful if she didn't give them all a chance.

Maybe Risa's weapon was ultimate sex appeal? It might work, on someone else.

Turning back she smiled sweetly at Gaara. Raising her voice loud enough so it carried to him.

"Please, right now all Gaara is, is our opponent. You can't beat him if you keep hold of that respect, instead my sweet dumplings, make him earn it."

And before anyone to speak she added with a tilt of her head.

"Right strawberry?"

The gasps of horror didn't conceal the chuckle from Temari; the girl knew what Ino was doing. Her grin didn't falter though, because really this wasn't going to be an actual fight. Her mere presence was a sure sign of that; if she were to be killed there would be hell to pay. Even if it _was_ an accident.

Ah, sweet foreign immunity.

What this was is a test of their team combined, in case they really were in need of a guard.

She was the only Jouuin and he was the only Kazekage, the rest were green chuuin who spent more time in the hospital than experiencing the real world of ninja. They would probably use whatever they needed but obviously she and Gaara were going to have to curb their jutsu's.

Knowing this really didn't stop her from feeling irritated though, he was goading her and by all means Ino was going to return the favor.

Which was why he didn't give into her blatant undermining, just crossed his arms over his chest and looked grave. The fun was about to start.

"Then you don't mind coming at me than. Go!"

........................

* * *

The next few seconds after the start was a bit, anticlimactic to say the least. Ino had simply kept that same silly looking smile on her face while her chuuin had nervously shifted behind her. She had known they wouldn't make the first move, and Gaara had implied that he wasn't so that left it all up to her.

Ino liked doing things at her own pace, which was the cause of her casually taking a few steps backward until she was at the back of her team. They didn't seem to appreciate what appeared to be a retreat but then she didn't care less.

Leaning forward, eyes locked with green ones, she slung an arm over Tio's shoulders. He tensed but didn't make a move to remove himself from her sudden intimate embrace. A show of trust that had her inwardly warm up to the young man.

She didn't miss how Risa's expression grew increasingly ugly with dislike and jealously.

Brushing her lips against his earlobe, Ino didn't miss the way Gaara's eyes narrowed at her from across the field. He's body leaning toward them while not taking a step. Yet.

"Play along, and I hope to god you know how to use those efficiently."

His shoulder twitched back to nudge her in affirmation.

In a movement that both graceful and playful she danced away from Tio with a light giggle. With a few twirls that sent her to Risa, who looked like she liked to fight her instead of the Kazekage, Ino made sure not to show the watching predator her back.

Sliding her fingers up the girl's bare side in a blatantly sensual gesture she finally broke eye contact in order to catch the glaring eyes, letting a bit of steel leak into her whimsical gaze.

"Save the rival shit for later little bitch, this is not the time. Get your act together."

And then, in a movement that was subtle, she flung a few shuriken towards Gaara.

.............................

* * *

Temari watched Ino's little byplay with raised eyebrows and bemusement. She should have known that the Konoha kunoichi wouldn't use the same kind of game that all other ninja prefer to use. It was obvious from the sidelines that everything was a perfected line and advancement to some grander and possible twisted scheme.

Mind games, something that people tended to remember and yet forget when Ino was around.

What was unsettling was how easily Gaara and the other three were falling for it. Her baby brother had watched the sexuality pass at Tio with shoulders tense that had nothing to do with the training session. Or how the other girl was falling into whatever traps Ino was making for her.

"I think she might have forgotten that it was about teamwork and not complete field domination."

Not bothering to look away as sand easily deflected the weapons thrown, Temari leaned on the end of her fan, letting Baki get comfortable.

"It's not just Gaara she has to prove herself too, and besides she's too manipulative. There's more than one battle going on here."

She knew he wouldn't answer that, it had been years since their awkward relationship fell into anything resemble normalcy. Years for Baki to accept that Temari knew and disliked that he was a sexist pig and for Temari to give in to the fact that Baki wasn't going to change his ways.

They understood each other and the time being with an unstable Gaara was enough to help them, along with Kankuro, to grow close as a team. He was the closest thing to family that they ever had.

"…She's a bit of a sex kitten, I'm not sure I approve of the Kazekage's growing interest in her."

...............................

* * *

He was on the offensive, and it was irritating. If he didn't attack then Ino would have to alter her plans and unlike Shikamaru she did not like to change them.

His eyes haven't left hers, and had they been alone Ino was sure the gaze he was a giving her would have sent a different message. Right now, it was just frustrating. He knew what he was doing when he told them to come at him, that sneaky bastard.

"Kira, Risa, rush from the sides. Tio will go frontal."

The latter two didn't seem thrilled but nodded all the same. She noticed that Risa had finally drawn two deadly pointed short swords, where she had gotten them was a mystery but the steady handle she had on them was enough. At least the girl wouldn't accidently stab herself.

At her small hand motion they disappeared from around her leaving behind a small cloud of sand. Their silence would have been impressive if Ino hadn't choked on the gritty sand that she inhaled. That was a definite disadvantage.

Still…if she planned it right..

If they had any hesitation before about attacking their leader it didn't show as they launched their first official attack. The end of Kira's sickle was spinning with increasing speeding, he having decided to use the ball end instead of the curved blade. His good-natured face closed of any expression as he slid to a stop several feet away- the movement not jarring the smooth throw of the chain.

It was almost sad when Gaara blinked, sand rising up to casually brushing aside the weapon.

Ino was sure they had practice these moves, as if they had come up with the combo before. This thought was only reinforced when Risa surpassed Tio. Her stance was nothing fancy, the muscles bunching in her arms as she crossed her weapons in an x that would easily decapitate anything that was unfortunate to get in the way. This time the red head simply leapt back out of the way, Ino saw brief hand signs before a medium sand wave appeared to knock the sand kunoichi back.

To her credit, Risa only stumbled a little bit when she landed.

Just as Ino thought, watching detached as Tio went towards Gaara, the results of sand was drawing up a large sand cloud. Glancing over at Temari and Baki, she waved brightly at their raised eyebrows.

Sprinting forward into the settling dust, Ino didn't bother to draw a kunai as she called out.

"Tio, stop!"

The brown aired medic paused mid-attack, his direction changing so that he landed by Ino. The other two came up slower, their pride a bit bruised but otherwise okay.

At the stalling, Gaara merely tilted his head at Ino in a questioning way, something that she waved an airy hand at while speaking.

"Team regroup, I'm sure you understand Kazekage."

His frown was enough for her.

Turning away, purposefully putting her back at risk as she faced her team, Ino speak quickly in a whisper. After she was done she waited for their nods of understanding before facing the scowling man. It wasn't going to be very smooth or even remotely cool looking but she'd take what she could.

It was getting hotter out and Ino was hungry.

"Ready, Go!"

.........................

* * *

Temari ignoring the heat beating down on her as her narrowed eyes watched the four ninja seemly disappear from the small circled they had just formed. Flickering towards her brother, she waited for another round of obvious attacks.

She knew Ino was testing the boundary, that is, what any Jouuin did before actually getting down to business. Well, most anyway, there were a few that just went head first and their advantage was sheer tenacity if not intelligence.

The auburn haired girl was at the side of her brother as the black haired boy appeared on the other side. They did a bunch of slowing down maneuvers that weren't really necessary, causing two large clouds of dust to kick up around her brother.

"Weak, of course he'll be able to simply step back out of it."

She nodded absently, carefully watching as Tio appeared behind Gaara, his legs sweeping forward in a slide that sent sand up into the air. Temari caught a briefly annoyed look on Gaara's face as he was surrounded by –

"Oh!"

As the dust slowly settled back onto the ground, Temari anxiously started forward, hoping that she was wrong. Baki followed her with a frown on his face but she didn't bother asking him if he understood or not.

"Ino!"

The blonde's body was stiff as a board inches from her brothers, her brow dripping with sweat as her hands firmly held the seal. Wide eyes were squinting from the sun but they didn't break contact from the disbelieving jade ones. Ino's jaw was clenched shut, her lips thin lines as she concentrated.

Temari was shocked to see perspiration standing out on his face too.

Risa's voice was full of rude astonishment, coming close from her left as they stared at the two in front of them.

"She was serious! I didn't think she would actually be able to do it! "

The soft voice of, what was his name? Kira was just as shocked.

"Ino-sempai did say she could kill without touching an opponent."

Temari didn't hear anything from Tio, but jumped a bit when Ino groaned. It was an accidental glance down that caught the twitch of Gaara's hands when Ino suddenly dropped her hands and fell to her knees.

Tio was suddenly there, his hands brushing dirt away as he tried to peer into her bow head. A gesture that surprised even Ino as the blonde looked up to, not meet her assistant, but to look up at Gaara with an unfathomable look.

"What did you do?"

Baki's quiet question was what broke the silence and Temari mentally shook herself as she took in the look in her brother's eyes and the way Ino was indulgently letting Tio fuss over her, the Kunoichi's eyes were still carefully blank but an almost thoughtful expression was on her face.

The sand kunoichi didn't forget to notice the death glare that the other woman was sending her Konoha's friend, and it was obvious that even though she was preoccupied, Ino hadn't missed it either.

Suddenly rather grumpy at all the underlying currents, Temari frowned at her friend.

"You play with too many fires."

Ino finally broke her gaze with Gaara to give Temari an impish grin.

"Probably. Anyway, I just used a jutsu that lets me kind of take hold of the body. I used the disorientation of the sand to get in range."

Ino knew she was being vague but some family secrets were not meant for any outside ears, not even her Hokage. Besides, she was positive that Gaara didn't want his defeat to be rubbed in his face. That victory could be saved for later.

Easily brushing away Tio's fluttering hands; she was going to have to do something about her young man's ignorance about another female teammate, Ino stood up. Smiling at Gaara, she cast a quick glance at Temari.

"After all, wasn't this little drill just so the Kazekage could see if we could handle ourselves in case of an attack? I think we succeeded in that."

She grinned with pleasure as the others clearly caught the 'that was just a show, not the real deal' that her tone gave. It was just too much fun, really, except for the sand that was making her head itch.

Gaara frowned at her, his being disgruntled at actually being caught off guard evident on his face as he took in her state.

"No guards then. Dismissed."

She didn't move though, and neither did he as the other paused awkwardly before starting away. Temari gave the blonde a significant look before towing the older shinobi away. Ino had given the girl a grin before turning back to face the Kazekage.

This time it wasn't her that spoke first.

"You knew from the start didn't you?"

It was more of an accusation than anything else, his eyes narrowing at her when she widened her eyes innocently. She couldn't fully banish the smile on her lips, try as she might.

"Uh, I have no idea what you're talking about sir."

The smile grew bigger as his eyes went smaller. It should have been disconcerting, how her body seemed to have moved closer to his without a conscious thought but Ino was too caught up in the banter to really let any nerves ruin the moment.

She watched as he opened his mouth to say something before closing it with a steady glance around. Ino didn't bother checking the area, putting her irrational trust in the man in front of her. If he wouldn't even mock battle with her in fear of hurting her then Ino was pretty damn sure he wouldn't now.

When he met her gaze again, he has assumed that neutral expression that she beginning to distastefully associate with 'Kazekage business.'

"They are too many people watching huh?"

His nod was curt, sending her smile into a pout as he took half a step back. She resisted the impulse to follow.

"And here I am, finally getting you a little riled up and some jerks go and spoil my fun."

His brow rose a little at her whine but Ino sighed before turning away from him. It had been a long day and if she stood around with an empty stomach for much longer she was going to melt right into the ground.

The thought of a fresh blueberry muffin rose in her mind, and Ino's mouth watered in response. Ah, if only Konoha would ship a case of those!

"I'll…stop by later."

She paused, turning around to look at him with a deviant glint in her eye. He was probably thinking of everything that was going on around Kyoko, and that discussing the theories would be a good idea.

Oh, she knew she shouldn't tease him so, but, well she was bad.

"Was that…a proposition Kazekage?"

It was only after she spoke the words that Ino felt a jolt; it was almost as if she _wanted_ it to be. Damn, she _must_ be coming down with some illness or was this after effects of adrenaline from a small stupid training fight?

Before she could even blink Gaara's overly warm body was pressed close to hers, his head bent a little so that his nose brushed along the delicate outline of her ear. She shivered at the way his breathe blew across the sensitive lobe. Her hands won the fight to stay at her sides but Ino couldn't stop her neck from tilting so that he had access to the responsive skin there.

Their bodies weren't touching, but Ino was hyperaware of how his mouth was hovering millimeters from her skin and part of her fiercely wanted him to close the distance. An unexpected eager noise escaped her mouth, and Ino found her weak willed hands gripping the ends of his armor shirt.

It was only then that she realized he had stilled, his breathing just as uneven as hers.

Oh my, little red riding hood could be just as scary as the bad wolf.

"Kazekage."

Just like that, the rough voice broke away the painful awareness that had been teetering on some edge. Ino wasn't sure if she wanted to gut the man or hug him for the interruption. She wasn't even sure what she would have done if he hadn't come along to break their, whatever it was. Kiss him, climb his frame, or punched him for turning her on by just breathing on her.

Gaara hadn't moved, and she wondered if it was to withhold any suspicious the man might make about them. His voice, despite his momentary loss of oxygen, was cool and even. She felt a pang of envy at it.

"Yes?"

Feeling a bit light headed, Ino was blaming the lack of food and not Gaara, she stepped back to turn and give the rather pale shinobi a friendly smile. His thin lips wobbled before he turned to bow to Gaara, who hadn't moved though his eyes closed briefly in what Ino assumed was to regain some control.

"Baki asks for your presence, he says there are some pressing issues."

Ah, Ino heard a lie when it was spoken, and glancing at Gaara she was sure he had too. The pressing issues were probably them being alone more than necessary. Meeting his eyes, her stomach tightened at the rather intense hungry gaze he gave her, and began backing up.

It was the knowledge that he probably had no clue as to what he looked like or how it was affecting her was the only thing that gave her courage to drop the teasing smile and stare at him intently.

"Meet me at my office."

Not bothering to wait for his reply, Ino turned and fled.


	13. Chapter 13

Children were perceptive. Scarily perceptive. Ino always wondered if it was because they were naïve about the real world still or just unwittingly observant.

Staring down at the big limpid eyes of chocolate chip, Ino also felt like it was trick. A dirty, sneaky, trick that the little cretins did just for tormenting fun.

"Ino, do you like the Kazekage?"

As much of an open attack as it felt, Ino silently watched the abnormally shut down expression on the girl's face as she stared out the window before sitting on the edge of the bed. The movement didn't bother Kyoko.

"Sure I do, he's a pretty okay kid."

The eyes didn't flicker once as she responded, her tone as blank as her face.

"I'm sorry I think you misunderstood. I meant do you like him romantically?"

This whole scene gave Ino the chills, as if she was watching a creepy horror film set in some run down hospital. She would have been the lead role of a young charming doctor who is about to get haunted or pushed down a well, or something.

Or, perhaps she was hated how the vibrant child was so despondent.

Lifting a foot on the bed so she could rest her chin on her knee, not bothering about her lifted up skirt, Ino sighed heavily while gazing unfocusedly ahead of her.

"What do you want me to say 'Ko? I want to rattle his bones or something like that? We ninja's aren't hired to love."

She glanced over to see if her shocking words had any affect but received a blank stare instead. A tiny hand reached out to pet the hair that had fallen over her shoulder, and Ino felt cold at the touch. Her temperature was dropping again.

"Isn't that why we are ninja? Because of love?"

Rolling her chin so she could full stare at the child, Ino smiled brightly, reaching her own hand out to poke the adorable nose.

"Maybe that's why it hurts so much huh?"

She hadn't realized there were tears in her eyes until Kyoko reached up to touch her cheek with chilly fingertips. The girl didn't respond, but at last the face showed a hint of sadness and weariness that was far beyond her years. Hell, beyond their years combined.

"Alright, 'nough this depressing shit, let's go over this rather ridiculously over-large chart, shall we?"

Standing up, if anything just to clear her head, Ino automatically grabbed the chart and reading the current updates. It took a few minutes; Tio was over meticulous with details. A manipulation that was made to force Ino to actually read everything instead of her usual skim through. The cunning jerk.

Finally lowering the clipboard, Ino gave the awaiting child a seriously unattractive look of irritation. Her lips hung down from the corners, her eyes cold and narrow; she didn't hesitate to speak.

"You haven't been taking the self-tests have you?"

At least, Ino felt with relief, she hadn't stopped taking the medication.

"No, I haven't."

The blatant answer didn't surprise Ino; she had her own growing suspicions, but chose not to speak of them at moment.

"Why, might this feeble doctor ask, did you not inform anyone of this?"

She was a bit proud that her tone had kept detached from the irritation that was bubbling inside of her. Despite her expression, she had to have an outlet somewhere; she wasn't as patient as others.

Wavy brown locks were tossed over an alarmingly thin shoulder before Ino found herself fixed on by a pair of superior eyes.

"I didn't want any more done to me, I'm tired of tests."

Ah, this hospital had tendencies towards pigheadedness when it came to tests but then she could empathize with them. Sitting on the edge of Kyoko's bed again, Ino took a few deep breathes for good measure and tried to approach the subject from a different angle.

"Believe me, I know how much getting poke and prodded sucks, but you want to get better right?"

The negative head nod caught her off guard but was interrupted in responding.

"I have never thought I would get better, Ino. "

It wasn't the words so much as the simply sweet resolve that was in the face that bothered her. Slowly standing up from the bed, Ino looked on the tiny girl with a face that she hoped didn't betray how she felt.

"Oh, well excuse me then; I must attend to people who want to live their lives. Of course I must apologize to the Kazekage when I inform him that you won't be around for your date."

She was only a few feet away when the sobbing started. Looking back, she smiled softly as the little girl cried with a hopeless abandon that pricked tears of her own. Really, is this the life they had wanted for their children?

Sometimes adults were awfully stupid.

Walking back, Ino knelt on the floor and let the girl throw herself into her awaiting arms. Her pale face dripping with salty tears as her wide eyes squeezed shut with embarrassment and fear.

"I don't want to die!"

Nothing was said as Kyoko soaked her shirt with drool, snot, and tears. There wasn't any acknowledgement of how the strong bluff was ruined or how both knew Ino had played her into coming clean.

Ino knew from experience, little girls needed reassurance. Especially when they felt alone. When they were alone.

Finally, after a while, the harsh body wracking sobs softened until they were replaced with exhausted, forced breathing of a sick child falling asleep. Ino waited a bit longer, comfortingly rocking the emaciated body against her.

She tried to ignore the other pair of sick eyes that watched the entire scene. As she leaned over to tuck the worn out child back into her bed, Ino didn't need to meet the imploring stares. She knew what they were thinking; would she really help us? Did she even really care? Death is scary, I don't want to die, I don't want to die.

The rest of the rounds went by with unsettling quiet, each little face intently watched hers as she checked charts, wrote notes, and did anything else that didn't require speech before moving onto the next bed; making sure to give simple kisses to the foreheads and cheeks before she fled from the room.

.........................

* * *

When she reached her office Ino opened the door with a very restrained punch. The door opened with a barely satisfying bang; revealing the two awaiting occupants.

Grumbling loudly, she stalked in without a welcome or hello.

Tio didn't need to know what happened to understand; most persons of any medical field experienced the helplessness. Of wanting to help everyone but never being able to save them, it was daunting at times. Suffocating even.

"Didn't go too well did it?"

Ino stomped to the window, kicking things out of the way as she went. The glass was thick but it still rattled alarmingly when her fist slammed against it in frustration. Gaara didn't need to hear her words to feel the accusation aimed at him.

"_Look at my shirt!"_

Spinning around she tightly gripped the sodden material away from her chest and scowled at the Kazekage, ignoring her assistant for the moment. She glared as the red haired took a bit too long to stare at her torso before coolly meeting her eyes.

"Looks..wet."

Choking from agitation, Ino missed the gleam in his eyes as she spun back around again just to twirl back to glare at him again. Her finger shook as she pointed at him threateningly, once again ignoring the shocked expression on Tio's face. She had a bone to pick with this sand beast.

"Now we're going to settle this here Gaara, now I don't know about you but I keep my promises or die trying. So since I promised some sick little…brat, that she'd get a date with you, then dammit she's getting her fucking date!"

And then, as if she just noticed the other presence, Ino snarled at Tio. Hey, she was unreasonable but sometimes it felt good to vent.

"And you! Open your eyes stupid! I'm tired of having to calm Bitch face every time the team meets! Go reject or bang her but by god do not keep on ignoring her!"

It was even more satisfying when his young face paled at her words. Ah, shock factor always feels good. When she's dealing it of course.

Ino pointed at the door with an ominously dark expression.

"Go."

He was gone and the door was shut before she turned back to smile winsomely at the rather brave Kazekage. His voice sounded casual, something that stunted her nerves a bit as he settled in the seat behind her, _her_, desk.

"You'd make a very formidable 'kage."

He watched with hidden amusement as the fiery blonde kicked one more stack over with a shrill scream of exhaling air before collapsing backwards on the desk, lying out so her face was right underneath his as he stared down at her. All the irritation was gone but he could still see a tired anger in the shadowed eyes as she stared up at him.

"I'd never want that job, helllll no. Only idiots would want to run a village."

At his slightly raised eyebrows she laughed quietly while unthinkingly bringing a hand up to gently touch the side of his face.

"Don't try to hide it."

Ino watched his face hold some inner conflict before closing her eyes and dropping her hand. It had been quite a day, and her lunch had been very small. It was amazing that she hadn't completely wasted away by now; even her meager meals in Konoha had been much more consistent then these touch-and-gos.

His silence was enough of a question, but it was when he tentatively brought a hand up to rest by her head did Ino begin to speak.

"She didn't' want anymore tests, why, she said, why should she have to get poked when she was just going to die. Of course that was before she ruined my shirt with snot."

Gaara was careful not to mention anything about how the said shirt was clinging to her body now, showing a much more detailed view of her, assets or how he saw the suspected liquid gathering around her eye lashes; evidence on how much it had bothered her.

His hand moved to touch the soft hair, somewhere in the back of his mind he pondered if it was because he wanted to touch her or if he wanted to comfort the unspoken sadness coming from her. It was both he decided.

"Gaara, I think maybe you should post those guards now."

She watched his eyes snap from where they had, no doubt, been ogling her wet shirt and met hers with sharp interest. Her own eyes were threatened in becoming cross-eyed when he leaned down closer.

"Why?"

Not really sure why she felt like that, Ino shrugged before unhelpfully replying.

"I don't know.. woman's intuition?"

Hey, she had limits to her infinite wisdom. Right now, she didn't even want to have a _brain, _it was aching so bad from all the emotional burdens that go with saving lives and all that gory stuff. Ino wanted a distraction. Or she was going to break down and really start to cry.

Reaching up again, this time with both of her hands, Ino traced the barely visible eyebrows. From a distance it seemed as if he hadn't any but the closer you got the easier they were to pick out. Their light reddish gold color only seemed to bring more attention to the jade eyes and bruised skin around them. His eyes watched her with an indefinable look that tightened her chest.

Smiling with sudden mischief, Ino poked his brow bone with her index fingers.

"So you really _do_ have eyebrows! Ah-ha! A Suna mystery solved!"

His frown could only have been described as grumpy, but Ino didn't miss the lock of her hair that was being touched between his own index and thumb. A warm inaudible humming began in her stomach, a new set of nerves that didn't leave her jumpy but just as anxious.

The moment grew as they stared at each other, and Ino reveled in the silence. It was tense but not with the danger that she had always associated with 'life-threatening', it was more of tension that made her aware of other dangers; some that included boys and other pleasurable sins.

She could be honest, usually only to herself, that she tended to chatter. It wasn't that she didn't like the quiet it was just that was how she operated. She preferred to carry the conversations, well, unless they were with boring stuffy council members. That she could do without.

But with Gaara it seemed okay to be quiet for a while, not that she did it often. Still, like now, it wasn't a stifling silence that made her want to move around to make up for the lack of noise. No, it was like a growing awareness, and she began noticing things that went unseen during normal mental capacity.

Like his hair was not just one color but a mixture of cinnamon, blonde, cranberry. She could depict some light strands among the dark that fell over his brow and her hand once again itched to touch it.

Gaara's mind, it seemed for once, was not on hair. Her heart stopped when he slowly leaned forward until her nose was brushing the collar of his shirt.

For the sake of a potential 'moment', Ino resisted the urge to complain about the itchy fabric. Time enough for that later.

"Ino.."

His breathe was warm on her lips as he spoke, and all witty thoughts were gone from her mind as she whispered back. It was funny how whispering always accompanied these cardiac arrest times but she suppose shouting would have probably killed it.

"Y-yes?"

Her head was encased now, both of his hands had slide beneath her head into her hair. Her own had lowered down to flutter above her stomach until she decided what to do with them.

"I want to ..kiss you. Is that okay?"

She was stunned, and to her humiliation, a burning flush flooded her entire face. So hot that she was sure he could feel it. Buried underneath that flame was a delighted joy that didn't go unnoticed. Again, Ino felt like crying as she clenched her hands together.

"I've…never been asked before."

It was such a sweet thing, so sweet that she wasn't sure if she could survive without a cavity, but Gaara lifted his head up to look down at her and Ino felt a shy pleased smile lift her lips.

"Is that good or bad?"

Quietly laughing with a slight hysterical hilt to it, Ino squeezed her eyes shut to hold back the horrifyingly embarrassing tears while answering.

"Good, good, please."

She missed the soft hesitating smile on his usually blank face as he leaned down to hover above her full lips.

"Thank you."

She didn't get to respond before his lips carefully, very carefully, brushed against hers. It was succinct and she felt a wave of disappointment, which shocked her too, until he kissed her again. This second kiss was less cautious and more experimenting; she found she enjoyed it much more than the first and her hands came up to – finally- slide into his hair.

His lips weren't super soft, having lived a life style that was harsh on the body as well as the soul, but Ino found that they were still tempting; manlier.

Hands that were large and warm pressed against her neck, sending hot rushes down her spinal cord. Her own, probably not as warm –too bad-, were digging soft tracks from the middle of his shoulders up to the back of his head. Avoiding the irritatingly restrictive sand container.

The whole angle of the situation probably would have seemed awkward- made even weirder looking by the huge gourd on his back-, but somehow Ino found that Gaara was, unconsciously most likely, shifting to help ease the smushing of noses and banging of other somewhat important facial features.

When he paused, Ino felt a pang at the loss of the contact. Her pouting didn't last very long as her body was suddenly being twirl on the desk; scattering the few items that had been on the surface. Smiling at the disorientating feeling of being moved, entirely aware of the hands on her upper sides, Ino stayed relaxed.

"Weeee!"

When the world stopped spinning, she found herself sitting up on the desk, with only seconds to glimpse the blindingly blue sky outside the circular windows in front of her before Gaara's mouth found hers again.

It wasn't controlled, nothing like the act she had to play on certain less-than-favorable missions. There was no restraint or fakeness to this kiss. It was raw, rich, and exhilarating to her blood pressure.

Dizzy from the change, Ino let herself mold against Gaara, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck to pull him into a deeper kiss that was showing signs of becoming more opened mouth. His hands that had been on her hips were now wrapped around her tightly.

As if they were both trying to keep the other from leaving.

"Mmm.."

She wasn't sure who made the noise, the lines of whose was who had begun to blur the moment she had tentatively stroke his lips with the tip of her tongue. He had paused but gamely went along as Ino took over, letting her tease him with her nips and licks.

It was only when Ino became aware of the spots hovering around her _closed_ eyelids did they break apart. Both panting from the loss of oxygen, they didn't realize that they hadn't let the other go.

Leaning her head down until it was in the juncture of his neck and shoulder, Ino fought to even her breathing out. It was too hot to keep the position they were in, but she would have rather chewed her arm off than move. It was nice, having someone wrap their arms around her as if they never intended to let her go.

Claustrophobic, but nice all the same.

"Sorry, I didn't mean..I didn't really.."

It took a second before she realize his voice was shaky and uneven, as he mumbled. Something entirely un-Gaara-ish. After having been kissed like _that_, she had momentarily forgotten that this was his first time. Shit, having been like that was _her_ first time too.

Leaning back, he quickly let go and did something that she had only ever seen Shikamaru do; he reached up a hand to rub the back of his neck. Looking both unsettled and seeing his face, Ino took a closer look before falling back laughing.

"What?"

His uncertainty had all but vanished as she continued to laugh, his expression taking on a confused look. Struggling back up on her elbows, Ino grinned widely at him, not knowing how attractive she looked with flushed cheeks and kiss swollen lips.

"The Kazekage is blushing! Blushing!"

...

* * *

Gaara watched as Ino fell back again in another fit of obnoxious laughter. The medic was actually clutching her sides as she hoot and hollered.

He didn't know how she did it. Every time she was near him, Gaara found himself following her moves, listening to her tantrums and bouts of wisdom. Her words caught him off guard yet were some of the most comforting things he's ever had.

He wanted her, and not just in a blatant attention starved sexual way. It was obvious to him now, after months of trying to understand what was happening. Gaara wanted her near him; she made him feel at ease with himself, with his inner demons. She never once looked at him with fear or disgust; she looked _at_ him, like a human.

The physical attraction was just a bonus.

Knowing all this now, the Kazekage didn't know what to do next.

...

* * *

Ino, after several minutes, had finally been able to control her brass display of banshee giggling. Wiping her eyes, grinning broadly, she sat up to look up at Gaara.

"You're awfully cute when you're bashful, sir."

His cheeks had gone back to their pale unblemished appearance, but his lips were now back to the grumpy frown of having been caught possessed something remotely 'cute'. A hit to the male ego perhaps?

"I'm not cute."

Her shrug definitely irked him more, but she let the game pass for now, saving up the rest for later when there were more witnesses. Looking around, she saw the disarray of her desk and looked at him to smile again.

"No, I suppose you're not cute, _that _was without doubt _not cute._"

Ino had been hoping for another sight of that girly blush, but instead all she got was a rather a slow startling look of male sensuality from Gaara. When he wanted, those green eyes could glitter with sexuality, and that fact that she wasn't sure if he was doing it naturally or not was unsettlingly. Most likely because of her reaction to the look.

What she didn't realize was that she automatically responded with her own look that sent the blood rushing to southern regions of the body. Her eyes had dropped halfway, letting the bright blue simmer down to a dark azure that promised many things while her pink tinted cheeks enhanced the parted full lips.

Ino blinked when Gaara swallowed, unsure of the reason why.

"I will post the guards."

She nodded, letting him steer their thoughts away from what just happened. Neither wanted to answer the unspoken question; where was this going? How far would they, or did they want to go?

Sliding off the desk, Ino half-heartedly attempted to fix her messed up shirt and skirt.

"I don't know why I have this feeling, but it's also because I need my team in the books right now. They can't both guard and search."

Bending down to fling the stuff that had been knocked off back onto the desk, Ino jolted when Gaara bent down to help. He wasn't close, but it didn't matter, she felt like she would know where he was even if her eyes were blindfolded.

She blinked when a document was held out under her nose.

"This is written permission of the Kazekage to allow medic Ino and her team into the private sector of the any of the hospital records."

Reaching out to snatch it away, Ino flashed him a big smile before abandoning cleaning up and running to the door. She was going to scream for her team and get their asses working before anyone in the higher ups could find a reason to revoke it.

The door swung open, knocking Ino unceremoniously onto her butt.

"Oh, what are you doing Yamanaka?"

Not bothering to get up, despite the offered hand, Ino glared with open hostility at the person standing in her doorway. The bastard didn't even knock!

It went unnoticed as their focus shifted to behind her.

"Kazekage! What are you doing cleaning up after her!"

It was the dirty implication behind 'her' that made her angry, but Ino pushed it away when Gaara appeared by her side, his hand held out towards her. His face was back to business, but she didn't mind. Taking his hand with a feeling of defiance, Ino let him easily haul her up before she began rubbing her bruise posterior. That was going to bruise.

"I was just giving Ino the permission to use the restricted section director, I'm sure you will helpful towards her search for a sure for our patient."

Hanako's face went several different shades of angry before he settled for a nice blood red. Ino smiled girlishly at him, making sure to bat a few eyelashes when he met her eyes.

Ino felt like a cat that got all the cream when Gaara's voice grew a tad colder.

"Right, director?"

The older man could not like have being bullied by a Kazekage that is decades younger than him, but was smart enough to not make any noise about it in front of the said person. Instead, Ino watched with interest as he looked away from Gaara's face after a few seconds.

"Of course Kazekage, I will do all I can."

Sometime poked in a corner of her mind, but Ino couldn't figure out what it was. Ignoring the instinctive warning, she walked to the open door just as Tio and Risa walked up to it.

"Geez-la-frickin'-weeze, am I to have everybody in those poor abused office?"

She eyed the two, looking for sighs; of sex or a fight. Tio eyes though, went right over her and to the young man behind her.

"Kazekage, we would like a private audience with you, it's of great importance."

Ino quickly caught Risa's wide sandy eyes before looking back at the two men. Something had gone down, and the only reason she could think of that would make him speak so formally was that it involved someone in the office now. Since it obviously wasn't her, she was too crazy for anything secretive, yet, it had to be the hospital lead.

Gaara had come to the same conclusion because he turned to nod briefly at the ignored man.

"Thank you for your cooperation Hanako."

The dismissal must have been devastating, but to his credit the man only nodded curtly once before pushing past Ino to leave. As he left, Ino moved to the doorway to stick her tongue out at his retreating back; lifting her hand to make a rude gesture.

"Ino, get your cute firm ass in here, now!"

Stunned, she silently moved back in, securely shutting the door before giving her assistant her full attention. He never cursed, or at least rarely, and never ever mentioned her body in such a way. That, with the fact that he had said such a thing in front of Gaara, who was his leader and was giving off an extremely cold aura, Ino was in a rare moment of pure shock.

Risa also seemed frozen to the spot, but her eyes were fearfully on the Kazekage.

It was still amazing how Gaara could change the entire atmosphere without every doing a single thing. Just a moment ago, Ino had been practically blistering from the smoldering heat of his eyes but now it was like the room had been drenched in ice.

Apparently he wasn't too happy, she frowned at him; muttering loud enough so he could hear.

"Possessive." Jerk.

Tio swallowed loudly but stubbornly tried to ignore the menacing air, it wasn't going to well and Ino sympathetically went to help him.

"Okay, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

This seemed to help her curly haired friend, he break his submissive pose to look over at her with troubled eyes. Risa had gone to stand by his side, her eyes –for once- not glaring at Ino while she watched him with concern.

"Someone's..tampered with Kyoko's and 'Ashi's meds."

They watched in apprehension as the tall blonde went still, her eyes darkening with fury as she slowly spoke.

"What?"

Tio rushed on, not liking being sandwiched by two dangerous ninja. He wasn't sure who would be scarier if they lost it, Gaara who was once a demon holder or Ino who was like a demon herself.

"We went to check on the specialized solider pills for Kyoko, you know how I had been thinking about trying to make a slightly altered version for 'Ashi since he just has a weak immune system, if he just gets a super high dose of certain ingredients then he should get better – ah, um, anyway, Risa was going to help me because she is a lot-"

He was caught off by Ino, who had lost all childlike qualities, her face resembling the cold brutal indifference that her intelligent teammate can possess.

"Tio, get to the fucking point."

He nodded quickly.

"Um yea, we got to the store room that we had been using, and we noticed that Kyoko's pills weren't in the usual spot, I had Risa check them and someone had added something to them. I couldn't identify it but we immediately went to the child ward, she's worse Ino, her chakra is completely spiraling out of control. She'll be dead in three days at this rate. Someone's trying to stop us."

They waited for the explosion, but nothing happened as Ino's brow scrunched together in a thundercloud. Her eyes had dropped mostly closed and they watched as her lips moved in soundless speech.

Gaara spoke to give her time to sort out whatever it was she was thinking about.

"Who has access to the room; it's the one just behind the child ward correct?"

Grateful that the Kazekage's dark presence had disappeared, Tio nodded as Risa answered. Her voice was small but steady as she look at somewhere near his ear.

"Yes, it's the small chemistry room; no one was using it so Ino just took it over. It's was suppose to be private access only but Director Hanako overstepped that, saying a foreign bitch didn't need privacy."

She shut up quickly when Gaara made a sudden movement with his hand. In his hand was the cork stop to the gourd, the sound of sand hissed as a small pile fell to the floor at his feet. The two watched with twin looks of alarm when he calmly reached over to push the cork back in.

There was a small sand storm and a few blurred hand signs and then it was all gone.

"Kankuro will be here shortly."

Ino, who had disregarded the whole scene, absently reach up to shake out her mussed ponytail. Her voice distracted as she chided the Kazekage.

"Gaara, don't do that, gets in my hair."

Risa, watched as the Kazekage actually smile a little at the blonde, who was still staring off in concentration, and then at Tio who was watching the scene with an exasperated smile of his own. Suspicions began to grow in her head as she looked between them again. What was going on?

.................

* * *

..................

* * *

A/N: Things are building up! dun dun dun. =P Let me know what ya think!


	14. Chapter 14

Kankuro appeared precisely one minute after the sand had gently circled his ankle; a sign that meant he was to follow it back to his brother at once. He had opened and closed the door without a sound before moving to stand by his brother.

Serious eyes, a face of purple and tan, watched everyone's moves until Gaara spoke. He was a protector, and he would do anything to help his younger brother. Their bond might have been damaged, scarred, but that had only made it stronger.

"Tio, tell him."

He listened as the young man relayed what he had just told everyone else, but his eyes wandered from the auburn haired girl to Ino. The blonde looked like she wasn't even aware of the surroundings, but he caught the flicker of her eyes and rethought that; maybe she really is good. The other had to be part of the team, but he honestly had doubts as to her keeping up their higher advancements.

When Tio had finished, he glanced at the girl, Risa, before speaking. If this became even more out of control the younger shinobi's would be in danger. Or become a weak link.

"It's possible that an outsider could have, this is the only hospital."

Kankuro watch his brother nod, those jade eyes flickering imperceptivity towards the blonde again. It was like Gaara couldn't help himself. For her defense, it didn't seem like the blonde was trying but Kankuro had never seen her _not_ draw eyes. Even his wandered towards her unbidden, as if something about her drew them in.

"Temari checked with the foreign merchants, turns out a few were rogues but she hasn't been able to find them yet."

He waited then, until Gaara thought it all through.

"Okay, send for her and Matsuri."

Kankuro nodded once before disappearing.

............

* * *

Risa wasn't a genius, her scores had always been average and she had never tried to make it seem like anything else. That didn't mean she was stupid.

Standing by Tio, she watched the other two in front of her with varying degrees of interest and uncertainty. Kazekage has always been strong figurehead of the village, she doesn't remember much of his days with Shukaku, but she remembers the fear of his mere presence. He had always been scary as hell, with sleep depraved eyes that were surrounded by black and emotionless as a doll.

Just being in the same room as him, Risa couldn't help but feel ill at ease, all the stories of how he killed anyone who so much as looked at him resurfaced in her mind. Without thinking she stepped a bit closer to Tio, her hand wanting to reach for him but not being able too.

On the other hand, the young kunoichi from the Leaf was just as intimidating, but in other ways. The woman was beautiful with hair like the setting sun – all gold and brilliantly long. Her eyes were such a blue that Risa couldn't help but feel jealousy at how eagerly guys wanted to make them sparkle. Even her body was near perfect, long slender legs that led up to an hourglass figure.

She was fear-struck just because this woman was dangerous in a way that Risa knew she'd never be able to compete with. It wasn't fair, what had this woman done to achieve such a rank? It pissed her off.

What made them seem even more powerful appearing than usual was the fact that they were close together. She was sure that if they were welded together that they would create a wildfire with their red and gold's; a brilliant unmatchable flame.

Then it clicked, and Risa narrowed her eyes.

They weren't necessarily close, having several feet between where the Kazekage was standing by the desk and where Ino was by the left wall, but something about them. Looking closely Risa realized that it was _how_ they were standing, both turned towards the other as if they weren't conscious of it. Ino's leg was stretched out in front of her, hip turned in alignment of his as he stood straight half-turned to face her and the rest of the room.

Just seeing how the highest position of the village was even attracted to the blonde made Risa's anger rise; she had spent _years_ trying to get the man in front of her to simply look at her and here was a foreign slut, snatching everything away.

"Ino-sensei?"

She hadn't expected the blonde to look up from where she had been frowning at the ground, but Ino did. Her expression was far off, but Risa hoped that would help her question. The Kazekage looked up at the blonde's movements, his closed face watching.

"What?"

Their relationship was nothing near good, but Ino was their mentor and hopefully felt obligated to respond.

"Is your clan famous in Konoha?"

This wasn't the woman had expected, her blue eyes stared at Risa until the girl felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

Risa knew she should have stopped, but she couldn't. As if her mouth was a faucet that wouldn't shut off; carelessly pouring out.

"So you're probably betrothed than, right?"

Risa hadn't thought of the Kazekage's reaction, the man's face became so scary that Tio stepped in front of her before Ino's laughter broke the tension.

It sounded bitter and self-mocking.

"Females generally aren't heirs to such grand clans Risa, being possible 'damaged' goods doesn't seem to sit well with their potential hubbies. Of course, you wouldn't know about such things would you, _little girl_?"

The insult was there, wide and out in the open, Risa fumed as she glared with open dislike at the woman. No, she had never been used in such missions where seduction played a big key; she wasn't skilled with such kunoichi arts. Those missions were always A-ranked or more – she thought at least. Without thinking she flung words at her.

"No, I wouldn't, I don't sink so low as to be used for such disgusting tactics; I have _real_ skill."

The woman went still before smiling slowly, her expression looking more predator than human. Risa stepped back before catching herself; she glared at Ino. Who was sauntering over towards them.

Her voice still held the self-mocking tone but now it also had a low dangerous hint to it.

"_Disgusting_ she says? _Real_ skills? Little sand bitch, I think you misunderstand the concepts of being a female ninja. Here, let me demonstrate."

Risa had backed up several feet now and watched as the tall blonde panther stopped in front of Tio – her glacier eyes never leaving Risa's as she spoke. Delicate looking hands – nails surprisingly well kept - reached out to stroke his chest, sliding up and over to drape around his neck. From where she was, even Risa could see the skin on his neck begin to turn a dusky red.

Tio didn't move his eyes widened as they avoided the Kazekage's.

Her fist clenched.

"Baby snake, see? I don't even have to speak words to do a mission. Can your _brutal _and _obvious_ skills do such a thing? Can they get information when steel and blood won't?"

A long leg slithered around Tio's calves, and the young chuuin made a noise in the back of his throat. The woman's face took on a darker, more intimate look as her lids dropped while she began to nuzzle his ear and neck. Risa could see his hands trembling as he reached for her hips.

"S-stop it!"

She didn't want to see anymore. Risa's face felt hot as she glared.

Ino just looked at her though, eyes dark and face serious.

"Why? Does it make you uncomfortable? If I didn't do this, baby snake, I could simply trap him with my jutsu – or maybe I could wait until a very uncomfortably _physical_ moment too."

The woman uncoiled herself but didn't move away- instead she turned her back to Tio and made a movement that had Tio biting his bottom lip. Risa was furious at him, why didn't he shove her away! Why was he letting that bitch do whatever she wanted! Her stomach felt tight and nauseous as she watched the sexual teasing.

She didn't understand why. Ino must have seen it on her face because she smiled with a flirtatious quirk of a brow, not moving anymore but standing in front of Tio. His hands tightening on her hips.

This time she was interrupted by Gaara.

"Ino."

Risa watched with furious tears in her eyes and an embarrass blush on her face as Ino easily stepped away from her teammate and straightened up. As if it was an illusion, all the sexuality disappeared from her like smoke, leaving behind a young looking blonde with an innocent smile.

Risa hated her.

..................

* * *

Ino looked away from the kunoichi to see Gaara struggle. His hands were bunched across his chest, as if he was holding himself back. If the strangled tone hadn't been enough, the way his expression looked at her would have.

Like she had betrayed something precious.

She felt cold.

"Risa, in the end all human are prey to instincts, their desires, and their physical needs. _Skilled_ kunoichi's know how to use what they were given, and they survive with them."

The girl was so close to tears, but Ino wouldn't show her pity. No one had shown her pity when she had come back nearly blind with scratch marks on her inner thighs.

"This is the world we chose to live in, pain, sex, degradation; all of those must be taken in order to protect something much larger than ourselves. So no, I won't be betrothed, besides my dad isn't from the first century, I can make my own choice."

She wouldn't look at him, she wouldn't feel ashamed. Walking away from the shell shocked Tio and trembling Risa, Ino made her way towards the windows, pausing at Gaara's shoulder to whisper. His face was under control again, but she felt the tension ripple off of in him in waves,

"Don't you _dare_."

Reaching the window, Ino didn't hesitate to put her cold cheek against the sun warmed glass. When it become like this, she wondered as she stared down at the ant hills, when did she feel like exposing such a dirty part of her job? Was it really because Risa had obviously tried to make her seem off limits or was it because she felt incredibly guilty of what she had done?

Ino would never, ever, take back what she had done in missions. They were for the protection of her home, of her friends and family; but sometimes, sometimes it had been so hard to accomplish. The sense of peace of what she did had been shattered by that vindictive girl.

In truth, Ino was jealous that Risa had never been sent on a mission that included seduction. Such a sweet life she had, had, being all warrior and not a perceived slut. It must be nice.

She purposefully ignored the part of her that was screaming at what she had shown in front of Gaara. If he couldn't understand than she didn't need him.

Ah shit! If only it was that simple.

She didn't want to be judged. To be hated. She wanted him to understand or at least accept. Why was that so important? In a few months or maybe a year at the most she'll be back in the Leaf and he'll be here, so why?

Her fucking head hurt.

"Ah man! Why Tsunade! I hate you! May you grow old quicker and croak so that I don't have to do this anymore! Pay me!"

Everybody watched as Ino banged the windows with her fist, her ranting like a rumble against the pane.

Tio, who had regained his composure, looked around before laughing lightly.

"So extreme Ino, couldn't you have just spoken about it?"

She whirled around to lie against the window, dramatically resting her wrist against her forehead as she mourned.

"Of course not! Actions speak louder than words!"

Ino looked at Risa, who was still looking furiously close to tears, and decided that maybe some more explanation might be in order. She didn't hate the girl, just didn't like her.

"Baby snake, do you know the one thing that a kunoichi will never do in that type of situation?"

The girl mutely shook her head. Ino raised a finger and tapped her lips with a wink and sly grin.

"Never french kiss. Objective rape never includes tongue twisting kissing, so we think of that as our virginity instead, though" Ino's face grew thoughtful "come to think of it, kissing is less painful losing than your hymen. So messed up!"

Tio blanched before throwing a scroll at the woman.

"Please! No hymen talk! Makes my ears bleed."

Easily catching the scroll, Ino incredulous stared at him.

"Your ears don't bleed when you lose that!"

His eyes grew wide, his face growing the most perfect expression of horror. A small giggle escaped from the girl behind him. Ino grinned widely at the play, silently thanking him for helping get rid of the earlier mood. She had only used Tio because she knew that he wouldn't have acted like anything serious and that he was actually _not_ interested in her. Didn't help though that she had accidently aroused him, that had not been in her spur-of-the-moment plan.

"Suna hasn't had those kinds of missions in decades."

Gaara's voice broke their impromptu joke, but didn't dent the restore humor. His eyes were on her. As if he was trying to get her to understand how he didn't understand. Ah, how twisted.

Brushing off invisible lint from her shoulder, Ino assumed a grand expression before negligently waving her hand at them.

"Oh, I dare say it's because reptiles don't have what it takes to be sexy. You're all made of tough and scales."

She dropped the expression to slyly look at him from the corner of her eye.

"But I bet some just hide it really well. Let's go find out!"

Tio groaned loudly as Risa laughed, falling into her trap easily. Gaara didn't laugh or respond in any other way; except that his eyes lost the distant gaze from before as he looked at her with _that_ look again. He walked over to stand next to her, seemingly to stare out the window.

She smiled apologetically. Glancing over to see the other two falling into what looked like a rather private discussion; she turned to match Gaara's position.

"I probably could have done that better, but she hit a sensitive spot."

She tapped her fingers on the smudged glass before continuing quietly.

"Please, don't think I enjoy it."

Not knowing what else to say, Ino fell silent as they stared out at the domes of brown buildings and sand mounds. The two were almost indistinguishable, but Ino found that she had become fond of such a plain sight. It only made the sky seem that much more beautiful.

"How is there a difference between that and.."

Ino looked at his reflection in the glass to see him doing the same. She paused, hesitant to let this conversation go in the direction that it was headed, but knowing that it was impossible to stop. What was the difference? She knew, but she wish she didn't know.

"We're different. On a mission, it's like being locked in a dark wet room. So cold, so alone, hard and cruel; fight for survival. With us it's nothing like that, I've never been in ..a situation like before."

Laughing suddenly, Ino traced patterns on the glass as she went on.

"I've only ever been on a few dates, nothing memorable. Dinner, movies maybe, then a small kiss and I go home. My dad is very protective so that scared off a lot of guys. I love him but there have been times where I use to want to strangle him for it"

Smiling absently she spoke softer as she continued.

"..actually I only went on one mission like that..Tsunade pulled me off the list when I came back unconscious and temporary blinded from it. The guy hit me in the head with bat a few times and it all went black. I came to in Konoha's hospital with Chouji and Asuma staring at me. Shikamaru had to be taken out of the room; I guess he had been pretty upset. "

Ino paused while darker memories of Shikamaru – close to tears- kneeling next to the bed with her hand pressed against his cold sweaty forehead while Chouji begged her to never do it again. They had taken the loss of her virginity a lot harder than she had, especially since she didn't remember being raped.

"You were…out when it happened?"

Her hands clenched tight on the window, Ino saw her reflection – pale and closed- and prayed for strength to not vomit. It wouldn't be attractive. The voice that came out from between her lips was a small croak and she paused to swallow before laughing gaily.

"Yup, I don't even get to recall being raped just waking up with some serious bruises, scratches and a biiiiiiggggg ass migraine. The mission was a success, though the death hadn't been planned."

At this she glanced timidly at the man next to her. Only a few knew about what had happened and why: Shikamaru, Chouji and Asuma, simply because they had been on the mission, none of them ever mentioned how the two younger members had slowly killed the man when they caught up with him. At the time Asuma had stayed with Ino, having tried to keep her awake from the concussion.

The Hokage had been the one to heal her, the buxom woman staying overnight vigils by Ino as the blonde had cried and screamed in her sleep. How she had whispered agonized apologies. Her dad had been there when they first brought her in, and according to Chouji, Tsunade had to have Sakura hold him back.

On the whole it had been bad news bears.

"I preached some pretty big words back there, but…but I really don't have the right. After all, I don't even remember."

What bullshit, sometimes she wish she could, just so she knew what images went with what overwhelming feelings of helpless terror of being exposed, hurt, and humiliated.

He turned to look at her, but for once Ino tipped her head to avoid his gaze. She didn't want to know. Geez, what a scaredy cat! She didn't want to have to feel ashamed or guilty for something like that.

Her dirty little secret.

"Good."

Glancing up with an 'are-you-serious' look on her face, Ino was surprised when she saw him quirk a side of his mouth up. Here she was, confessing her monster– of- the- deep secrets and he was smirking!

Ino was, with a ready twitching hand, going to smack him!

Her violence must have shown because he spoke again, all calm and superior.

"We're different..in a good way."

Oh, he makes her melt like a greasy stick of butter in a fry pan. Smiling brightly, she nodded happily, wanting to take his hand but knowing better with other people in the room. Ino settled for the hot taut feeling in her chest and a glance of future kisses.

"So I'm the first to kiss you like that, _good_."

Ino gave him a dead fish look as the obvious possessive male satisfaction came out again. Even his expression held a hint of smugness to it that had her cringing inwardly away at future possibilities. With her mouth turn unbecomingly down and her nostrils flared, Ino pointed at him.

"You..are…ridiculous."

The smirk remained.

So the Kazekage, emotionless puppet of the Sand, had normal horny young male qualities. Ino found that she was secretly pleased that she seemed to be the only one to bring that side out to the surface.

.....................

* * *

Gaara was still processing everything Ino had told him when Kankuro returned with their sister and his student. The woman at his side had been quiet after a while, a thoughtful expression on her face. She had somehow gotten closer to him in the time they had been talking but he didn't have the will to move away.

Was he sad? Upset? Symapthetic?

He wasn't sure; there was really no reason to be any of those. It had happened long ago, from what he assumed at least, and they hadn't really known each other. It wouldn't help anything now.

Still, at the thought of the bright woman being put through such an ordeal made Gaara feel something heavy in his stomach; a feeling he hadn't felt since he had Shukaku residing within his soul. Just imagining such a thing made his knees lock and his throat dry with the emotion. It was dark, menacing, and he knew without putting a word on it what it was that he was sensing.

Rage that made him want to reach out and crush whatever was interfering. To feel hot blood and sand mix together with reassurance of its obliteration.

Murderous intent.

Gaara wanted blood for Ino; he wanted to destroy something that had made her feel pain. She, who accepted people's flaws with a bright smile and optimistic philosophy, the woman who didn't like children because she couldn't save them all, and the loss was excruciating. Ino, who had steadily held her palm against the mark of his demon and then had asked to kiss him.

He had never felt such intense protection towards anyone before, it was world shaking.

"Kazekage."

Turning away from the window, Gaara gratefully took the distraction.

.................

* * *

Ino turned before Gaara, getting more time to look over the people who had entered the room.

Temari stood in front, her fan out as if she was already waiting for battle to break out. Her expression was hard with the readiness, her eyes glittering dangerously. Kankuro looked a bit comical in his purple make up, his black outfit complete with a hood up.

She bit back a giggle at the two points on the hood, making him resemble a poorly dyed kitty cat.

There were three others behind them, they were all younger then the Jouuin's but competent looking all the same. Ino quickly took inventory of them before focusing on what she guessed what the infamous Matsuri.

She was a short brunette whose hair flipped out against gravity, with large brown eyes that matched the freckles that dotted her cheeks and nose. Her mouth looked like it would frown rather than smile but still was attractive with its natural pink tint. The outfit looked like blue leggings under an oversize off the shoulder sweater, but it somehow looked _cute_. Ino only saw a weapons pouch on a belt and another smaller pouch.

This was Gaara's only student, the girl whose kidnapping had brought Gaara to fall into a trap; just to save her. Brown eyes that color of Nara's deer's met hers unflinchingly.

Ino didn't blink as she quickly took in the other two while Gaara spoke.

"Temari."

The quad-pony tailed woman nodded once before beginning, Ino pulled her eyes from one of the chuuin's face – he had an interestingly shaped nose ring- to watch the proceedings.

"Three rogues entered the city as merchants, they weren't listed on the report that the inspection guards made. I am guessing that someone snuck them in. We are trying to track down their stats now."

Tio had moved over towards Ino but a glance from the red head had him pausing a few feet away, Ino mentally rolled her eyes as she walked over towards her partner-in-crime. They were a team, a duo, and his input was just as important as hers. Earlier actions put aside, Gaara was just going to have to deal with him.

Ignoring the discussion of the three siblings for the moment, Ino leaned closer to speak towards the young man's ear.

"Inside job?"

His earnest face didn't seemed troubled at speaking about village affairs with her, something that had been caused from close working hours and Ino's questionable work ethics. He crossed his arms over his chest while motioning for Risa to stay where she was by the door in case of eavesdroppers. Ino doubted she understood that but choose to ignore _that_ problem for the moment.

She never said she didn't like poking infant snakes, it was just too much to resist and the girl made it so easy.

"Are you thinking someone in the hospital, because I can't think of anyone who would –"

Ino blinked when Tio brought off to interrupt the Kazekage, who had been filling in the others quickly. She was impressed.

"Kazekage who are the guards for the child's ward?"

She watched as Gaara's face blanked for a moment before turning to Temari. Ino found that Matsuri was still watching her with the unblinking gaze. Did that girl pick that trait up from her sensei, talk about spooky.

"Tazu and his squad were for the last hour but someone else should be relieving them now, why?"

Ino broke the creepy staring contest to catch the look on Tio's face before he motioned towards Risa. The girl was gone before any of them could stop her and Ino rounded on him with a deceptively calm look.

"I don't remember giving –"

Her voice trailed off, leaving them to stare at her until Tio lightly punched her arm.

"Ino?"

She groaned loudly before turning towards the door. She didn't bother explaining as she all but smashed opened the door and began sprinting down the halls.

It was at the door to the outside that Ino realized that Gaara was hot on her heels and no one else. It would have been unnerving if she hadn't felt the smallest bit of relieved at having him at her back. Either he had ordered them behind or had quickly set about something with the situation. She didn't bother stopping to ask.

He didn't question her either, just stuck close behind as they made their way to the hospital in a blur of red and purple. That was either an act of trust or that he just wanted to be the one to kill her if there was any cause for that option. She doubted or at least hoped it wasn't the latter.

Suna was inconvenient in the way that leaping from rooftops was much more dangerous; who the hell made smooth _round_ houses! After her foot slid again, Ino growled loudly when a hand shot out to roughly tug her back up. Yanking her elbow free, she continued a bit slower while biting out to her savior.

"Who the fuck decided to use these designs, do you _want_ your shinobi to fall and break their necks!"

She didn't like needing help, and her grumpiness showed when she slipped one last time; bum screaming with friction burn as she slid down the roof and landing rather badly on the ground below. At least she had been able to catch it with her feet.

Rubbing her butt without a care of an irritatingly graceful Kazekage, Ino quickly made her way into the hospital's door. He caught up easily, his voice soft as he spoke.

"It's a defense."

She threw him a glare before pointing at the frayed and dirty material covering her backside, not caring how other people were watching them.

".Hurts."

Amused eyes stared a bit too long at the area of interest but she let it pass when they saw the guard posted in front of the child's ward. Marching up to it, the two sandy haired men were surprised when Ino walked right past them; a short Kazekage following like a puppy.

"Yamanaka?"

Ino ignored it as she went up to the door next to theirs, her hand pushing it open as Gaara briefly spoke to his shinobi. Not her thing to deal with and if he had followed her then he could be useful.

One glance was all that was needed to locate the man on a bench in the corner. Leaving Gaara to catch the closing door, Ino walked purposefully over to Kira as he looked up with surprise.

"Whose paying you?"

...................

* * *

Gaara, Kazekage of the Sand village, walked through the door just as the body of one of his own shinobi slammed into the wall next to where he was standing. Easily sidestepping the fallen body, he'd deal with that later; he walked over to where the blonde was leaning over several complicated looking instruments.

"What's that?"

Peering over her shoulder, he felt her body tense with anger before her guttural voice answered.

"Kira was the one who had been messing up the capsules. "

He waited and didn't jump when she slammed her hands down on the counter, rattling everything that had been organized on there. Her head was bowed but he could easily see the clenched jaw and working throat. Betrayal was tough.

"Kazekage?"

..................

* * *

Ino didn't notice Gaara move in front of her or that he had turned away. She just stared down at the white powder and tiny pills. Kira had been such a compliant person to work with and she had hoped to get him promoted, but that greasy son of a bitch-!

No, she shook her head, this must not drag her down or else she would end up killing him and that would not do any good. Plus Tsunade would skin her alive if she endangered the good will between the two villages.

Reaching a finger out as two people spoke behind her, Ino dab into the powder and brought it up to her nose to smell.

"Don't eat it!"

A small hand appeared from her right, smacking Ino's wrist hard in attempt to knock her hand away. Instead its aim had been up and not down. She mentally sighed when the finger –powder included- was lodged up her nostril.

What a day.

The silence behind her was tangible as Ino slowly straightened up, taking the finger out of her nose and gingerly wrapping it on a rag that had been next to all the equipment. Dropping it on the floor she ran her arm underneath her nose in a very unladylike gesture of getting rid of any left over's. Turning around to fully face the other people she tried not to give in to the urge of simply mind jutsu-ing them all.

"Thanks Risa, haven't done that since I was five. Now that you've done your one good deed for the day why don't you go run along and get Tio."

They waited until the door was closed again before Gaara looked over at her. He was standing by the unconscious body of her former team member; blood trickled down his lips and chin from where she had broken his nose.

"Will inhaling that affect you?"

Looking back at the small pear dish containing the mystery stuff, Ino tried to ignore the naggle of worry at the back of her mind.

"I'm..not sure. We couldn't even identify it. Only fatal stuff is usually scentless."

Seeing him turn back to the unconscious Kira, taking blood on his face, Ino hurried over to take his upper arm. The look he gave her was cold and ruthless; a killer.

"Well if it hasn't killed Kyoko yet I'm sure I'll survive a small snort of it. I'm bigger and older after all."

The muscle in his arm didn't relax but she had his attention now. Not bothering to release him, Ino turned back to stare at the table and its lethal contents.

"Something isn't right Gaara."

She meant beyond what just happened, but didn't elaborate when he simply nodded once. Sure it was only too possible for someone like Kira to betray them, the ninja life was cruel and some broke their loyalties all the time just in effort to ease the burden.

That wasn't, well not all, that bothered her; there was a feel of deliberateness set to the room, to the whole situation. Eyes narrowing in on the white substance, something that had to have come from another village, maybe the Mist, Ino hissed quietly throw her teeth.

"What?"

.....................

* * *

.................

* * *

A/N: Gaara was so cool in the latest Naruto chapter!

Sorry for any mistakes (as always) ... dun dun dun the plot thickens?

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

He was not comfortable, which wasn't anything new to Gaara, but now the gut tightening feel of unease had extended beyond his own self-preservation. Something that had him withholding from breaking the grasp she had on his arm, or how he was still between her and the door.

An undeniable urge to protect her.

The thought alone should have freaked him out; Gaara knew what happened when the wrong person was trusted; when the wrong person was loved. It ended with him putting a permanent reminder of it on his forehead.

But it didn't, at least not in the sense that made him feel self-defensive. No, in fact it was the opposite; he wasn't worried about himself at all.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gaara watched for any signs of oncoming illness; a seizure, foaming at the mouth, the sudden lack of erratic humor that drove everyone mad with frustration.

All his eyes met were sharp exasperated blue ones.

"I'm not going to suddenly keel over okay?"

.................

* * *

Ino was not happy.

Looking around, she tried to get a sense of what was so wrong with this situation. Letting go of Gaara's tense arm with only a midgen of reluctance- he was warm and seemingly unfazed- she wandered back over to where the supplies were at; looking down at the pills they had created.

"Man, it took us such a long time to come up with these and now they're all ruined."

Poking at them with a desolate finger, Ino tried to remember everything that has happened. Tio had written the instructions somewhere but she never kept notes, she had an amazing memory. Usually.

"I never wrote anything down, not even during school or during medical exams."

Drifting a finger along the stuff, mentally labeling each item; Petri dishes, mild acids and nutrients, altered soldier pills that would be smaller for children. Ino picked up a dish that smelt like it held something fruity – flavor – and closed her eyes.

"My dad once said it was because we, although not genius's, used our brain more than most because of our advance jutsu's and their uses; remembering names, faces, intentions. Not quite photographic but not anything else specific either."

The glass cracked in her clenched fist, cutting into her palm with the sharp scent of oranges as she opened her eyes to glare harshly out the window that had been cleverly made where it caught the most sunlight.

She had trusted the wrong person, and that might cost a little girl her life. Biting down hard on her lower lip, Ino tried not to cry. Failure was all too familiar.

"Damn, damn, damn, _damn._"

His hands were there, easing open her bloody hand, hissing quietly under his breath at the sight of the tiny shard embedded in her fingers and palm. She hadn't realized she had been holding it so tightly but she didn't move or speak as he grabbed a pair of long nosed tweezers from the table – she absently noted that they had been used for the capsules- and began to delicately but efficiently pull the glass out.

The only sounds in the room were the gurgle from Kira's unconscious form, his breathe struggling through a smashed nasal cavity, hers and Gaara's low even breathing mingling with the sound of glass hitting the sink.

It smelled of bloody oranges.

His head was bowed in front of hers, peering closely at her hand as he worked, leaving her a view of his ruffled mane and pale neck. So close, if she had twitched even a little her chest would touch his hunched shoulder. Gaara was warm, solid, and oddly soothing; Ino wasn't sure if she wanted to push him away or grab him and lose herself.

She had just decided to move away - this was not the time to get cozy - when his head finished the distant between them, resting lightly on her shoulder before he stepped back. His hand released hers as he set the tweezers down and turned away, not once making eye contact with her. He had felt it too then. _Darn._

Ino shivered and almost jumped when a voice spoke from the doorway.

"Ah, I see, so this is what this room has been use for? Poisoning my patients."

Hanako's expression was chilly but Ino saw that he couldn't keep all the satisfaction out of his face as he looked at her, the room, and the Kazekage who was standing an adequate distance from her. Had he known they were coming?

Behind the director stood Baki, the uncovered part of his face pull tight in a mix between a grimace and frown.

Ino wasn't in the mood for political games, and started to towards the door when the older man stepped in front of her.

The sound that left her throat would have made any Inuzuka – dog or human- proud.

..................

* * *

Baki watched as the pompous man stopped the kunoichi, his eye trailed on her face. Her complexion hadn't gotten any darker since she had come here, her hair though, had lightened and the bleached gold brought out the dangerous glint in her wide baby blue eyes.

This woman did not look like a ninja, but that made her even more formidable.

Her upper lip lifted with an animalistic snarl.

"Move dipshit, I need to see _my patient_."

A slight dripping noise brought Baki's eyes from her feral looking expression to her hands. Both were tightly clenched, arm muscles twisting with restrained violence, but the right was dripping a good amount of blood onto the tile floor at her feet.

He doubted it would slow her down, in fact, Baki was positive that the Leaf bitch would somehow use the blood to her advantage if it came down to a fight.

The ones who looked like they should be holding a lollipop instead of a kunai were always worthy of suspicion.

"Hanako, move."

Gaara's bruised eyes were hard as flint when they looked at the hospital director. The young man hadn't moved from his position by the counter, but he didn't have too; the threat seeped into the air like a deadly vapor.

Even now, after all the years, Baki still felt the same sliver of fear down his spine.

It was no great surprise when the man moved aside with haste, his head bowed in submission even though his eyes glared at the woman as she all but shoved past them to leave the room. She hadn't even bothered making eye contact with him when she walked by although she did pause a second to stare down at the unconscious ninja that was crumpled by the door. An unreadable look on her face.

Glancing up, Baki's eye narrowed as he watched the Kazekage followed the girl's retreat with his eyes. Those eyes were never blank, no matter what, and the look in them now suggested a deep unpenetratable hunger.

Whatever have the gods brought down on them by sending that woman here?

.................

* * *

The guards promptly move aside before she had even began to open her mouth. Stunned, she paused inside the doors to look at them both with an inquiring face. They smiled before one answered in a quiet gruff voice.

"We aren't stupid, Kazekage would skin us."

Ino decided that pursuing that conversation would not be smart, so instead of letting the sarcastic comment fly from her lips she smiled tightly before turning away.

Later she would wish she had stayed and chatted.

The bed was by the window, allowing the sickest to see the brightest part of the day. As if the harsh sunlight would somehow perk her up, like a stupid flower. Human photosynthesize or something.

Kyoko didn't even remotely resemble a flower.

Hurrying to the bedside, Ino dropped to her kneels while her left hand reached out to touch the pale sweaty face. The girl was too weak to even open her eyes, faintly responding with a grimace. Letting her eyes trail over the skin, Ino narrowed her gaze on the spots that were..molding?

Breathe hissed between her teeth but nothing else gave away her thoughts as Ino gently lifted up a frail hand to peer at the inside of the arm. No, not molding, there was definite color mottling going on.

Skin changing wasn't a big deal in general; children that had two different ethnic parents would sometimes have skin change over their life, especially childhood. This wasn't the same thing though, Kyoko's skin was, and Ino hoped she was wrong, almost rotting from the inside out. Was the chakra doing this? If so, it was completely unprecedented and they were in deep shit.

Tenderly placing the hand down, Ino stood up. Placing a small kiss on the child's forehead she turned and left the room. Ignoring the frustration tears that pricked at the corner of her eyes she marched back to the disrupted lab. She was going to start getting answers or someone was going to get punch.

Multiple times.

..............

* * *

Ino got there the same time as Tio and Risa did. Pointedly ignoring the girl, the nose incident was still fresh in her mind; she briefly muttered to Tio before lifting a leg up to kick open the door.

Two males turned to stare with varying degrees of shock as she determinedly walked into the room. Gaara simply watched with that same blank expression. Tio followed in closely by Risa, whose mutter of "Dramatic, much?" was lost on everyone as they focused their eyes on the blonde.

That's exactly what she wanted.

Stopping so that all three of the men were in a half circled in front of her, Ino place her hands on her hips and scowled. Tio had come to a stop by her shoulder, a silent gesture of backing her up. It was a small relief that felt sharp and disappeared quickly as she spoke.

"You know what the problem is in the ninja world? Dominant males. You know those guys who walk around with sticks of all sizes shoved up their asses. The ones who bark out orders like alpha dogs, _and I'm sick of it._"

This last she emphasized with a fist to the table next to her, which unfortunately was her injured hand; it stung but she gritted her teeth against the momentary pain. Ino refused to meet Gaara's eyes.

"I am a _kunoichi medic, _not a doctor, not a Kazekage, not even a sand shinobi. Just a medic trying to save a life. Why is it sooooooo hard to give me the help I need! Dammit, I'm not here to steal secrets I'm here to help!"

Spreading her palm out the counter, her insides jolted, so maybe there was still glass in there? Ow.

"Well Lookie here good ol' boys, I'm done with this bullshitting game of whose is bigger. Get me the information I need or I'm going to request an early return home. No point in my staying here if all I'm going to get is closed doors and stuffy men crawling up my back."

At this she desperately fought not to look towards the intense gaze, she would not bend for a boy. No sir, not at least until she didn't have an audience. No, no, no, he would have to understand. She would make herself trust him.

Ino let this sink in for about ten seconds before launching onward. Baki looked like he was ready to slit her noisy throat and have it over with while Hanako was somewhere between a stroke and heart attack; she prayed for either.

Gaara, when her eyes finally gave in, his eyes had narrowed, and her breathing hitched when she saw the rather, well, scary as hell look.

Bringing both hands up, indifferent to the blood, she ran them through her loosened hair. It no doubt left a gruesome sight but she couldn't hold still; it was taking all she had to not start throwing or pacing.

"I want to help her, but I need records."

Gaara spoke, and there wasn't a single thread of how he spoke when they were alone in it, this was pure power. He knew how to use it fine apparently, had it been any other situation Ino would have watched in awe as the short man turned to fully face his advisor and hospital director.

"I want those records; any, all, whatever, just have them on my desk by sundown."

The _or else_ that hung in the air was like a dark smothering cloak. For a moment Ino really did let her stress fall away, and when Gaara looked over he must have seen the uncensored look of envy on her blood smear face. She closed her mouth when he raised a brow.

"I wish I could do that…glare death, freeze the air, and threaten without ever opening my mouth. Gaara lizard Kazekage is sooooo cool, isn't he?"

His glare wasn't as intense as everyone else's. Funny how the emotionless leader seemed to be the only one with a sense of humor. Inwardly smiling at the thought she turned and hesitated before looking at Tio. She didn't bother lowering her voice.

"Go with them and make sure they don't screw us over."

They both turned to see what the Kazekage's reaction would be, since she obviously just gave an order without his permission; but he was on her side. She hadn't been sure at first, he had other obligations and couldn't always follow along on her whims, but that had been a cruel judge of his character. Gaara wasn't the kind of person who would go only half-in. It was all or nothing with him.

The part of her that wasn't freaking out at that possibility was fiercely glad; she wouldn't share.

Oh dear shit was she in trouble or what?

For some reason, his nod of affirmation seemed as if he was reading her thoughts, Ino gazed with horror at the man before her; handsome and _very _dangerous of being loveable until Tio touched her lower back to get her attention.

Letting her friend turn her away from the group, she held still while he leaned to whisper against her ear.

"I don't trust this..them."

Rolling her gaze to meets his serious dark one, Ino saw the uneasiness in his entire expression. This wasn't just some bias of any of them, this was gut instinct. She knew because she felt the same. His next words carried her thoughts out.

"Hanako just _happened_ to be close by, I don't believe it."

She didn't either; he was just a little too arrogant, and just a little too dissatisfied with her to not have some part in this whole thing. Nodding to show that she understood, Ino turned around to face the three men. Gaara was looking hard at Baki, but she couldn't decipher the message behind the stare, some man thing no doubt.

Hanako was oddly under control.

Finally bowing down to polite necessities Ino met green eyes with lowered passive lashes.

"Is that okay Kazekage?"

Baki's scowl deepened but Ino ignored him, what the hell was the old fart's problem anyway? Facing Gaara, she waited. His eyes searched hers for something; she hoped it wasn't anything too deep, before answering.

"Of course, Tio and Risa may leave now with Hanako."

Her relieved smile was bitten back as she watched him turn to nod at his former sensei. The man didn't appear pleased but nodded back once with more curtness than polite towards his leader before following the other three out the door. He only paused to heft Kira's form up over a shoulder.

It closed softly.

Ino tried not to scream and run out after them.

"Let's go."

Looking at him, their roles switched for once, she waited for him to elaborate.

"It's a few hours before the sun sets and I don't want to spend them here."

Nodding meekly Ino watched with some uncertainty as he walked over to gently poke her cheek with a finger. It came away tinted red.

"You are all bloody; I'll take you to get cleaned up."

Kind of anticlimactic in the ways of romance, with the moment and how her heart had sped up with the irrational hope of him maybe kissing her, Ino's mind went blank before what he said registered.

"I guess so, might have to forgo the sacrificial rituals of dancing in blood tonight then. Damn."

His eye roll was very subtle, she almost missed it.

...................

* * *

"Why does it always seem that you only come into my apartment when I am or going to be undressed?"

As it was, Gaara had originally wanted to leave and come back for her later, but Ino had stomped that idea to death. She had talked and talked and talked until he finally gave in. It had mostly been about his duties as a good companion and the roles of a gentleman. Blah, blah, blah.

Ino just didn't want to be alone. With gloomy thoughts of pain, failure, and other nasties that would consume her. She didn't want to remember and she didn't want to have to think of Kyoko lying in bed turning colors like a chameleon.

So here they were, in her room. Gaara had taken off the gourd, she was becoming so use to its bulky presence that she really didn't even notice it anymore, and was sitting once again on the floor. She had tried to get him to at least sit on the bed but the stubborn mule wouldn't hear of it, just plopped his butt down on the floor in front of it, leaning back and promptly closing his eyes. As if she was going to prance around in her birthday suit.

Part of her wanted too just to see if she could get a rise out of him, the silly wee jerk.

Instead Ino was standing in a towel feeling incredibly shy about going out to get clean clothes. Why? She wasn't too sure. Being self- conscious about her body had never really been a problem, oh sure she had the same unsightly lumps and bumps that every girl had wanted no guy to see, but after kunoichi training and then having Asuma, Shikamaru, and Chouji as teammates; a girl just got use to bathing naked in cold lakes with three other guys.

"But then again…"

She had never wanted to _kiss_ any of them. Ick, that had to be some form of incest or something.

Gaara was nothing close to sibling, nope, not one ounce of him. Ino was glad of that too, now that they had opened _that_ can of worms. Still, she hesitated in front of the door, hovering with an anxiety that had never accompanied her on any of the dates that she had been on.

Of course, Shikamaru and Asuma weren't here lurking in dark corners either, that might have had something to do with it. Or that she was usually fully clothed.

What would he think of her?

Oh god she was _not_ going to become one of those girls!

Drawing in a deep breath, Ino all but ripped the door open.

The sight of his closed eyes softened the nervous knot in her stupid stomach. Quietly padding her way over, Ino kneeled in front of him and smiled as she playfully tugged a lock of his hair.

"Quite the little gentleman aren't ya?"

His eyes remained tightly shut as he spoke, and Ino's smile widened as his hand came up to save his pulled on hair. He kept her wrist in his grasp.

"You're just too indifferent; does everyone who happens to catch you showering get to witness this?"

She belatedly realized her shrug was lost on him, but the coy tone she adapted wasn't. Breaking his grip she went to dig in the small dresser for underwear, letting the towel drop to the ground. Hey, if he wasn't going to peek than she really didn't care.

That didn't stop the hair on her arms and neck from prickling.

"I don't care; it's their own fault if they catch an eyeful of something they don't want to see."

She accentuated the end of her sentence with the snap of her underwear waist line. So what, they were boring and not even purple, but the heat made anything too designed stick to her like sweaty glue. She was a busy woman, who did not have time to fix uncomfortable sexy underwear wedgies.

Reaching for a bra, Ino happily continued into the silence.

"Besides, Shika and Chouji have seen it all and let me tell you they weren't that –"

He moved so fast she didn't have time to respond. His arms were there, straining with tension as they caged her against the dresser. Just like earlier, he didn't even have to speak to be able to fill the air with whatever he was feeling. Ino felt like she was choking on the jealousy and confusion, and unconsciously clasped the bra material to her, forgetting to actually put it on.

She stared at the wall, not having the courage to turn around.

It wasn't violent, okay it _was_, but not in the way that required weapons. It was the rough tension that could be felt in a room after a lover's quarrel, where the situation was borderline make-up sex or break up. Or at least she thought, she couldn't really say, not having been in that situation before.

Feeling like she was going to regret it but unable to resist, Ino leaned back into Gaara's chest. He didn't remove his arms, but somehow it felt as if he bent himself closer to her, wrapping around her in a cocoon of possession.

His breathe on her bare skin, raising goose bumps on her shoulder and beneath her collar bone. Ino felt very, very, erm, _hot._

Sometimes it was easy to forget.

He was not like other guys. Gaara didn't purr cheesy pick up lines, he didn't flirt outrageously or at all. She wasn't even sure he knew how to flirt. Feelings were sacred, and touching was even more so, bordering on ceremonial. This was the man who had something akin to a demon fused to his very soul, and for it had no one to hug him tightly when he had a nightmare or when he was sad.

It was amazing how they were both broken, his soul and her body. Did that equal each other out?

Taking a shallow breathe, Ino tilted her head up until she could look him in the eye. He wasn't taking the bait, his gaze trained on the wall in front of them as if his life depended on it. She could feel his jaw clenching periodically against hers.

That was not good for his mouth but she refrained from lecturing.

After casting around for something to say, something that was not stupid, Ino was surprised when Gaara spoke. What a day, conversations galore.

" I didn't..I don't.."

It was always humbling when a man who either speaks full commands or not at all stumbles over words to try and tell you have they felt.

"Gaara, please close your eyes for a moment."

After a quick glance up to make sure he complied, Ino moved away enough to where she could quickly put the bra on. Should have at least picked something out that matched! Then she purposefully turned around and stepped forward until they were pressing against each other again.

The racing of her heart was also a reminder that yeah, she was scared about this just as much as he was.

When she gently placed her arms around his neck, Ino ignored the burning blush on her cheeks as his eyes flew open to stare at her. They stared, unmoving and both unwilling to move until Ino swallowed loudly. Her smile was sheepish and timid.

"I know you might think I'm a love guru," she ignored his disbelieving expression, "but I was being honest about the dates, I'm no expert so don't expect me to know what's happening either."

When he didn't answer Ino continued in a quiet whisper, afraid of what she wanted to say but knowing she had to get it off her chest. Dear god why were they doing this now, all of times, she was in her fricking undies!

"I'm…scared."

Closing her eyes after her confession, Ino stiffened when his forehead connected with her own. A gentle nudge of understanding. She was glad he didn't wrap his arms around her, Ino was sure she would have flipped out. That'd had been too much too soon.

"Me too."

...................

* * *

A/N: I love how ..untraditional yet old fashion their relationship is.

To all the reviewers, I'm sorry if I haven't responded, my computer is being stubborn...again. but all my thanks!!!! XD you make me happy!

And the plot...thickens?


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Whew! I made it! Schools been hectic so I've been working on one chapter at a time. Forgive any mistakes in here. Reviews are great! Enjoy!

Whoa...fixed some glaring mistakes!! Sorry!!

* * *

Sunsets in Suna were, Ino admitted, breathtaking. The desert was a vast empty canvas that allowed the sun to overwhelm the horizon line with colors; oranges, reds, pinks. The lifeless sand seemed to come alive in the last few hours, glittering like the sea.

It was a grand farewell gesture. A person should have been at peace at such a sight, tranquil and soothed.

Ino was not zen.

She was not tranquil. She was not soothed.

Here she was, dressed in another new stiff itchy outfit that also included a stupid quarter sleeve beige jacket for defense against sand. The Kazekage's office was boring, the Kazekage was being grumpy, and she was stuck watching a glorious sunset that reminded her nothing of home.

Zen, was so far from Ino that she didn't even bother adding that to her list of complaint.

"It's setting, the big blinding orb in the sky."

Gaara didn't even nod, just kept scribbling away at some documents. She sighed impatiently before turning back to the windows.

This bitching wasn't very fair but they had just come back from checking on Kyoko, and that visit had sent her already frayed nerves into rapid unraveling. The girl was _dying_ and Ino couldn't get any work done to help prevent that. And dying was pretty significant too, they couldn't get brought back.

Well, she cast another glance behind her towards the bowed red head, usually they weren't.

Following her thoughts Ino's eyes turned to glance at the bowed glossy red hair. The time after their little forehead confession had been filled with a silence that was neither awkward nor relaxed. Ino had been torn between wanting to stay there, close and slightly touching, his warm presence a barrier to the world and the fact that there was a little girl turning into a work of art. Finally he must have sensed her agitation and moved back so she could finish getting dressed.

The silly fool had kept his head averted the whole time.

They hadn't held hands on the way to the office, shinobi and other busy looking people who watched their moves closely were wandering the halls, but the awareness had been there. Multiplying ten-fold at every accidental brush of shoulders or fingers.

..Or maybe it was just that she was a bit paranoid since he might have caught a glimpse of a nipple or something.

No, the best part, she allowed a quick impish and decidedly girlish grin to flash across her face, was when they entered the office. She had gone ahead of him, and was surprised when she felt his hand caressing the length of her ponytail.

The shiver of unexpected pleasure lasted until Gaara had seriously seated himself in the rather uncomfortable looking chair and became submerged into the dangerously dull looking pile of scrolls and files that had been left neglected on his desk.

And now it was _boring_.

Turning fully away from the window Ino left the gorgeous sunset and walked around to hop onto the single uncluttered portion of the desk. He didn't even pause in whatever he was scribbling; who would have thought his penmanship would be so neat? The expression on his face was of concentration, a small frown forming between his brows as if a headache was on its way. Ino tilted her head to get a better view, knowing full well what a bothersome pain she was being but continued without a care.

"You're rather attractive for an unfun Kazekage."

This got a flicker of jade before he looked back down. She pouted at the unruffled expression of absorption on his face before trying again.

"I bet you have tons of fangirls, Gaara."

The answer to this was a pause in the writing even though his head stayed bent. Leaning forward with keen interest Ino waited, hoping for something juicy. Did he have some stories about girls half-crazed with lust that they tried to tear his clothes off? Oh how exciting!

"Fan girls?"

Incredulous at the questioning tone Ino reared back on her rump to stare down at him as he began to write again. Has this man lived in a box his entire life! Fan girl was a word she had known about since she was four for goodness sake!

"You know, those rabidly obsessed girls who want to marry you and have lots of babies or just get a chance to sniff your knockers."

She didn't catch the quirk of his lips but heard the dryness in his tone.

"Not likely."

Mulling this observation over, Ino leaned back and began swinging her legs in a decidedly childlike way, uncaring to the way the movement shook the desk. After a moment she spoke again in a different chipper voice.

"Look Mr. Kazekage, the sun's setting. Shouldn't people be hauling serious ass to bring you important documents?"

He didn't even twitch, just continued reading then signing. She increased the speed of her legs and continued indifferently.

"Hey Kazekage are those important papers? Wouldn't it be super bad if something – like ink- were to be – oops!"

Ino shot off the desk and was across the room before Gaara even had time to finish standing up. She watched him glance down at the now ruined paperwork before looking up with a mild expression. The grin was hard to keep off her face at how blasé he had responded. Tough work to get him to explode, though why she wanted to see Gaara go off the deep end was a mystery to her, but then she never did have that much of self-preservation.

Maybe it was just how blood pumping attractive he looked when he got scary.

"Was there something you needed?"

Shrugging, she turned away to hide her face in case it gave how she was really feeling away. Ino stared at the wall in front of her. It was boring, duh, just like the Hokage's tower back home. Did they all have an unspoken rule about decorations, or the lack of?

It wouldn't have surprised her, leaders always had questionable personalities.

"Blood diseases aren't complicated, mostly."

The wall had a rather complex design on it, hidden in the boring brown paint. Moving closer Ino squinted at it. Her fingers coming up to trace it. A loop-di-look, repeating..

"No, not blood. Chakra affects energy. A person can have tons of blood, bad or good, but lack of energy can be fatal."

Tons of circles, who the hell had the time to carve crazy shit like that into a wall? Poor sap, whoever it was, Ino hoped he got paid well or maybe Gaara should use his own sand next time. Grains, could do this. Fascinated with the idea, Ino glanced over her shoulder,

He was patiently watching her, probably waiting for a sentence that made sense.

Like a creepy tiger, calmly waiting for its prey. Time didn't hinder him at all. Staring at him for a silent moment, Ino finally tapped the wall.

"Yeah, you could definitely do this."

Turning back she missed the puzzled look that crossed his face.

"Ninja are chosen because of stamina, abnormal or higher chakra levels, and sheer pigheadedness" She ignored the snort at the latter and continued with dignity, "..well minus Shikamaru. I think he might have had to bribe some people to get in without actually doing the work."

She wished her lazy friend was here now; his brain would have been greatly appreciated at the moment, that and Chouji's sweet sticky buns, a homemade recipe of his mom's. Asuma's confident swagger would have been reassuring also, but Ino didn't have any of that and would chew off her own finger before asking for their help. Not that she could get word to them without anyone official knowing.

No, Ino had to rely on herself, Tio, and three sand siblings; two which liked to nose around in her personal life and one who gave her suspicious food.

"Chakra, that's the key…cha…kra."

Focused on the wall, Ino let her thoughts go, trusting her mind to sort out things that she couldn't do when she tried to help it out. It was a nifty trick that her momma had helped her learn when she first started the family jutsu. Laughing absently under her breath, Ino muttered along with the memory of her gorgeous and short mom.

"Now baby, this is good for kunoichi work but it also helps because well..sometimes a girl just thinks too much! Especially when it comes to boys, weight, and skin products."

Skin, Kyoko's was turning the color of putrid cat vomit, but only around her tentekus. That really didn't matter though, because one tiny affected spot in the body would eventually lead to the entire downfall, death.

When the door opened, Ino waved a distracted hand of dismal when words were aimed towards her. Bout bleeding time, but why was it them and not the others? No time for that, focus on not focusing.

"Cha..kra…cha..fucking..kra..out of control…possibly done by poisoning.."

The room was cooling down, making her grateful for the coat, even if it was lame and restricting. Certain experiments would have helped a lot for this, but Tsunade..

Everyone jumped when she slapped her palm against the wall.

"Holy shit!"

Spinning away, she bounded over to Gaara, surprising everyone again by grabbing his shoulders.

"Please tell me you have information on snakes!"

…..

Matsuri's sharp hiss went unnoticed as Temari stepped closer. The woman had seen that intense expression on the girl's teammate and knew its importance.

"I'm going to hazard a guess and say you aren't referring to that nickname of ours?"

The blonde snorted loudly before letting go of her brother. Blue eyes were narrow with intent as they finally took in all the other people who had arrived and had been watching with varying degrees of interest.

Temari was positive that the interest was geared more towards the relationship that was beginning to show between the two and not the matter at hand.

"Hardly, let me ask you again, do you know anything about snake's indigenous to the Sound?"

…..

Tio watched as all the senior ninja in the room went still after Ino spoke. The tension between the young woman and the Kazekage and his original genin team spiked.

Putting down the useless scroll, only _she_ would demand for information and completely disregard it when it became available, he slowly stood before walking to stand near Ino.

The woman's smile was not reassuring. He frowned at her while thinking over the question, seeing the hard eyes between her and the leader. The green eyes were not cold or angry but penetrating as if he was searching for something while Ino's simply looked like she was telling him to get over something else.

They had to have had one of the toughest interactions ever, and briefly the image of them alone and having a decent conversation came to mind. No, beyond tough, that had to be impossible.

Yet, it seemed to work for them just fine.

"The Sound as in the hidden ninja village?"

Temari's snarled was smoothly cut off by the Kazekage's quiet guttural voice,

"Yes."

Ino then jumped in, one of her hands twitching at her side. As if her fingers itched for a kunai.

"One of the least knowing villages, but Suna should, since it was manipulated by them."

Shock coursed through Tio's veins- a hot cold flash as he took in the implication in her words. Of course they knew about that, everyone who had been a ninja knew but to mention it now and in front of two of the three great Suna shinobi. She was crazy.

Swallowing hard he glanced around a bit nervously before answering.

"Y-yes."

Ino's full lips pulled back over her white teeth, a mocking feral look. Her eyes didn't move from looking out the window.

"Not my history lesson to repeat, but snakes. Damn, why didn't I realize- the fluid was unusual sure but still."

…..

She could care less about Suna's mishaps; Ino was on an epiphany roll. Turning to face them; Gaara, Temari with his student Matsuri, and Tio, Ino briskly rubbed her hands together.

"Okay! Orochimaru uses snakes and likes…collecting interesting people."

She took a second to push away the sudden lump in her throat before continuing. No time for _that_ particular walk down memory lane.

"Not that I think snake man is involved but with a few tests, I'm pretty sure Kyoko was poisoned with the wrong cure."

She took in the various states of puzzled expressions before speaking again. It felt like she was back at Konoha's academy, giving a guest lecture of some medical thing. A jilt of nostalgia hit her in the lower stomach.

"Some snakes' venom can, if used very properly, can be very helpful with some illnesses. Orochimaru, evil man that he is, did a lot of experiments'. I've read some, and if it were not for the questionable methods and undeniable evilness they would have been great deeds. Anyway, Kyoko was given the wrong one, I'm pretty sure."

The silence that followed was thick, everyone taking in what she said and then trying to put it together with everything else that was involved. She waited, mentally counting to twenty in her head before jumping the gun. She just could not miss the opportunity to be a jerk.

"Any questions children now would be the time to ask them."

Temari's grin was tight but it was Matsuri who frowned at her openly before asking.

"Orochimaru, how do you know he is not involved?"

Good question, Ino paused to carefully think over her gut instinct before trying to put it into words. Tapping her chin absently, she let her eyes lose focus while speaking slowly.

"Well, I guess because he probably has bigger things to do at the moment right? After all training..Uchiha to become stronger is probably time-consuming. Though if he had talked to someone here then I wouldn't be surprised. Not many people get to learn about his snakes first hand, the only reason we do is because he was originally Konoha so a lot of his findings are in our records."

This was taken with a grain of salt probably but she would let them deal with their suspicions on their own time, right now they were all on Kyoko's quickly diminishing clock. Motioning to Tio she turned towards the door when Temari's voice made her pause.

"Where are you going Ino?"

She glanced at Tio's eyes before looking back over her shoulder.

"Duh, I'm going to go run tests and try to fix someone else's mistake. You guys can deal with whoever is going under the table. I can't get any other new medics involved until you solve that little mystery so Tio is the only one allowed to touch any supplies concerning Kyoko other than myself, 'kay? Chao!"

…….

Tio eyed the smirk on the woman's full lips before sighing loudly. Their footsteps down the hallway were quick and ground covering, the only hint to the impatience concerning the situation. When he glanced at her expression all the worry that he knew was brewing underneath was hidden beneath the humor.

Cerulean eyes flickered over before her cool tone broke the silence.

"What is it?"

Glancing around to take in note of the empty hall, he didn't sense anyone from the room following them.

"At first I didn't understand but Temari's right, you play with too many fires Ino. Mentioning what had happened some years ago was harsh."

Her grin wasn't very reassuring to him that she got the reprimand, but following her gaze when one of her slender hands caught his elbow Tio saw that Ino's attention had been taken by a figure in front of them.

"Shh."

He hadn't even realized he made a noise until she had quietly hushed him, feeling her grasp slip from his arm he obediently followed a step behind her as they made their way forward.

…..

She made sure their paths crossed, literally. Ino's shoulder collided painfully with the tall jerk that was hovering at the end of the hallway. Reaching out to seemingly support the man, she withheld the snarl when he, with aged shinobi skills, flung her hand away.

"Don't touch me!"

Director Hanako looked suspiciously upset, but Ino wasn't going to go jumping to anymore conclusions until she made him slip something out. Casually turning until she was standing in front of Tio, Ino caught the furious gaze in front of her with a casual calm of her own.

"Just helping a friend in need, so Hanako, why weren't you at the report a few minutes ago? You obviously could have made it."

For a former elite shinobi, he was quickly losing his stealth she observed. Eyes darted away before flickering back to her, a nervous tick forming at his temple as his left fist clenched and unclenched. She would have put money down on that guess that he was sweating in the palms.

A ticking time bomb. One wrong move and boom!

Leaning away to increase his comfort zone, Ino smile unthreateningly at him, hoping to disarm the sucker before plunging ahead.

"You don't look so good director, everything okay?"

A bit alarmed at the sight of his eyes bulging before he shoved past them both to head towards the Kazekage office. Turning with an equally mystified Tio, they watched the retreating back for a few moments before looking at each other.

"What the hell was that?"

Tio's dark eyes were narrowed he put a hand on her shoulder to guide her through the doors to the cool sweet air of nighttime. Ino let him lead her, closing her eyes briefly in bliss while taking deep lungful of air.

And choked on the sand.

"Damn, I hate spitting grit."

His eye roll was with the implication of her ridiculous bitching, and besides her mutterings of sand and buttcracks they fell into a short lull of silence.

She felt a prickling the nape of her neck but was interrupted when Tio finally spoke.

"I don't think he did it."

Trying to ignore the uneasy feeling Ino glanced at her friend. Their voices low in the growing dark.

"Why?"

Suna streets at night could only be described as creepy. It was as if the sand and its screaming wind took all other sounds out of the village, leaving an eerie hush when the winds were throwing sand at the buildings. Walking outside, with her hair whipping round her almost painfully, Ino hated how the uneasiness made her butt pucker.

Maybe it was the feeling that something important wasn't right.

"I really don't know, usually people guilty wouldn't be so nervous right?"

She didn't bother shaking her head; no one would decipher it from dislodging sand from her face or ears anyway.

"No, he has a really good reason to be nervous, Gaara."

This didn't seem to dissuade him though, and Ino waited patiently for Tio to collect his thoughts before continuing. Usually people who couldn't explain why they felt a certain way about something were usually right, instincts were important for a reason.

"I don't know, something doesn't feel right when I try to put him in the place of the poisoner."

Nodding slowly she bowed her head and took a serious moment to think over what Tio put out there. Part of her, the kunoichi part, whole heartedly agreed that the idiotic man would probably poison himself before a child but another part, was whispering that appearances are sometimes just a front.

Sighing loudly with the new headache, she squinted ahead at the buildings.

"I'm not sure of anything except that she's going to die if we don't hurry our asses up. Let Gaara deal with the traitors, I trust him to do that."

It wasn't until they had reached the inside of the doors, Ino turning to go pick up a scroll that had their current medicine trials while Tio turned to go straight to the patient when she caught his mutter.

"Gaara huh."

Frowning she watched his smirk disappear as he turned to leave her behind.

Suna was almost as bad at gossiping than a pair of old ladies!

…………………

The feeling had started low in his gut, as if something that he had eaten hadn't settled right, but he knew by now that it was the feeling that went with immediate danger. Staring up at the closed door, which had recently been used by a rather hasty retreating hospital director Gaara was frowning hard.

"What is it?"

Matsuri was close, closer than anyone outside of his siblings. She had been brave enough to become his only student, something he knew had started out as distant curiosity but he had been willing to work with that; it was better than nothing. Soon though, they had formed a bond. She had seen Shukaku and although terrified, she had tried to defend him instead of destroy him.

Still, she wasn't as linked with him as his siblings, she had to ask for his thoughts unlike Temari who had an uncanny ability to pick up certain brainwaves. Her wide brown eyes were staring at him now, not avoiding or downcast, as she spoke softly. He nodded approvingly.

"This..is not right." Frowning even more at the lame answer Gaara turned to his sister before continuing.

"Hanako is a fool but not a dangerous one."

Temari's eyes were narrowed with thought as she nodded absently, she had been that way since Ino and Tio had left. Her gaze lingering a little too long on the door, but he wasn't like her; he couldn't understand her unspoken thoughts.

"I think he's being used."

Not bothering to acknowledge this, Gaara leaned back and folded his hands over his lap as he thought it over carefully; reviewing each miniscule detail for a hint of who was behind it all.

Matsuri was a verbal thinker.

"My team is guarding for now, Kankuro is searching for those merchants. They are probably some kind of informant for ..Orochimaru, to keep him updated on the ongoing of the villages."

Temari nodded, a hand reaching over to fiddle with her fan.

"True, he would want to know. I bet he has one in every village. Good Sound ninja are very hard to detect, especially if they've been bitten by him or whatever."

Unable to take the inaction for any longer, Gaara abruptly stood up.

"They were cursed marked, triple the strength."

Temari watched him silently slip on his sand gourd before speaking in a hush tone.

"Ino…didn't say Sasuke's first name.."

………

She watched his hands and eyes, because those were the only things on Gaara that gave clue to his true emotions. Even then it was touch and go in certain moments, but now as she watched gorgeous yet under slept green eyes flash before shutting down, Temari knew; jealously, anger, betrayal.

_Normal_ emotions.

……….

Ino was scrambling through her cluttered drawers when the knock came on her door. Cliché as it was, she bumped her head painfully on the underside of her tiny desk as she raised herself up high enough to see who it was.

"Are you a stalker or did you just miss me?"

Not expecting any kind of answer, Ino ignored his presence to resume her search. Tio was probably pissed by now, or then again he was use to her running late so maybe he had started on the stuff anyway.

"Missing something?"

Peeking over again to glare, Ino stuck her tongue out before jumping up and brushing her knees off.

"Eh, you know, if you happen to see a small dirty scroll…."

They both looked around at the numerous numbers of scrolls before his eyes looked back at her dryly. Gaara was wearing his gourd and despite his easy manner in the moment, his shoulders were tense with knowing that he didn't know everything that was going on.

Ino sighed heavily, she knew that feeling alright.

"Screw it, I'll just improvise."

Side stepping her desk, Ino glanced around before determinedly heading towards the Kazekage, who was oh-so-casually leaning against the doorframe. Stopping only inches away. Looking up into surprised eyes, she smiled a bit tiredly before speaking in a whisper.

"After all of this, let's go on a vacation?"

He didn't nod, or gush over how much of a commitment that sounded like, instead Gaara let his lips flicker up briefly.

She stepped back, breaking the moment.

"I can't waste anymore time, I've to got to go to her."

When she got into the hall Ino wasn't surprised when he fell into step with her, his hands adjusting the gourds strap over his chest. She eyed it for a moment until looking up to meet his gaze.

"I can't believe you haven't developed back problems, that thing has got to weigh about eighty pounds."

His shrug wasn't hampered at all by the object in question. She grimaced at the thought of carrying that much before continuing on, her mind jumping around verbally while frantically searching for anything that could help.

"One time Asuma-sensei had Shika and me carry a single slab of stone around for an entire day, for friendship training he had said. That stupid frickin' slab had to have weight around two hundred pounds, and we clunked it around together all over Konoha."

Shaking her head, Ino lifted a hand up to brush her bangs away as she ruefully spoke, the memory of Shikamaru sweating in front of her over gray stone popping up. No, no, _that_ plan would not work.

"Finally we were able to stop bitching at each other simply because we were so tired. Sensei found us both snoring on top of the stone. Shikamaru had found to stumps to rest each side on and we had finally agreed that it was best. Hey, I have a bad feeling about this."

Pausing by a large circular window, Ino took note of the sudden stillness in the air.

"Ah, sweet baby puppies, this is so nice. No big orange bright thing in the sky, no more skin ripping wind. I almost want to say this is a pleasant night."

Glancing over she smiled, falling a step behind so he could lead. Hey, she wasn't a complete pushover, and in a strange-not-really way it was romantic. Moonlit stroll towards a dying girl and all that jazz….in a hallway.

"There's a storm coming."

Blinking, Ino squinted through the glass into the empty street before looking back.

"Well, shit if I can tell if there's one coming or not. Does that mean explosive violent sand storm or something? It doesn't feel right to trust the hospital, and yes I do know that sounds bad but someone was intercepting our reports. From you, O' lord Kazekage, and was able to pay that deceiving pissant to change up the medication. Kira was part of it, obviously, but there's someone else..higher up."

Unconsciously, or unaware of doing it, Ino hand had slipped into Gaara's sometime during her talk. She was a bit astonished when she realized that they were walking in public like that, but it quickly wore away when his warm fingers firmly covered hers.

What the hell was her body doing for her?!

Falling in a silent battle of wills with her body and mind, Ino almost didn't catch him when Gaara started speaking.

"Violent sandstorm, yes, sometimes lightening storms too – a lot of static. You won't be able to sleep well tonight."

Letting her toes begin to scuff the ground, Ino tried to not let the images of another sleepless night while listening to all the horrifying sounds of weather.

"I hate the wind..scraping against the walls like finger nails.."

Her mutter hadn't been conscious, but Ino still felt a pleasantness when his thumb absently rubbed circles on her palm. Part of her was screaming in shock; what was going on! She knew what was going on but what the _Hell_ was going to happen!

Ino was beginning to be afraid of something much scarier.

As the large wooden doors came into view, Ino slowed them down until Gaara was peering back at her over his shoulder; their clasped hands stretched out between them. She looked up into those eyes, both hard and vulnerable as they watched her and felt a tight pain in her chest.

"Gaara.. I think I.."

The slamming of the doors had her jumping as they both turned to see a frantic Tio standing there. Ino felt the blood rush from her face and heart drop as she took in his expression. Letting go of Gaara's hand she rushed forward but didn't get to speak as he roughly grabbed her shoulders, shaking as he shouted,

"Someone got her!"


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: To those of you who enjoy this little fanfiction _for what it is._ Thank you. 3

……………………………………

It was like she was an apparition; one minute Ino was being shaken by Tio, her ponytail swinging as her head bobbed, and then the next she was gone. The touch of her hand already forming into a distant memory.

He hurried but didn't rush, walking over to catch Tio's wild stare with a cool commanding one of his own. Gaara let the affect he knew his gaze had, waiting for the irrational gleam slowly leave the brown eyes on his before speaking.

"Tell me."

A screech from behind the doors had Tio flinching at Ino's recognizable voice. Curses that were beyond crude filled the building. Had it been any other situation Gaara would have been fascinated by the vocabulary she was proving to have.

"The guard team was gone! They said they had received a message that they were needed in your office asap, so of course they busted out of there! I was in the room next door trying to figure out some kind of list of ingredients because Ino was taking so long when I heard the nurse screaming.."

It seemed that the Chuuin's nerves were shot; Gaara could understand but didn't have time to be sympathetic. Getting the gist of it, he now rushed through the doors, his hand reaching over to slip out the cork from the gourd. Tio must have caught the movement because he muttered with more control.

"They're gone there is no one to fight."

Seeing a small crowd of people milling around the children wards opened doors, Gaara paused to give the other man a look before matching towards the scene.

"No, but she is."

He wished he wasn't always right.

………….

The bed was still warm, the sheets in a disarray from a sick child struggling helplessly against a kidnapper.

"FUCKING AYE!"

Flipping the entire bed frame over like it was a feather, ignoring the sounds of mattresses falling over or the crash of the bedside table, Ino turned around to stare at the other sleeping faces. Genjutsu or something was keeping them from waking up. Gave the criminals time to get away, it probably saved all their lives; ninja who stole children weren't far from falling into killing them for impenetrable silence.

Letting out another banshee scream, Ino spotted the broken window. Dropping the vase she had picked up somewhere in her tirade, she began moving purposefully towards it when a rush of sound had her leaping back. Sand filled the gaping hole.

"GAARA!"

Whirling around, she snarled at his all too composed face and neatly crossed arms, her hands curling inward with the need to rip into something undeniably human. Kyoko was gone! Why was he stopping her like a rational person!?

"You are upset."

The growl choked in her throat with the burden of shuttered emotions but Ino caught herself to stare at him as if he had grown three heads. No shit, of course she was upset. She shouldn't have left her alone! Straightening up, she coldly looked at the Kazekage in front of her; he was poised and ready to prevent her from leaving and hunting down whoever had done this. Or for stopping her from attacking him and any other unfortunate witnesses.

Both were plausible at the moment but she tried to tame down her voice.

"MOVE DIPSHIT OR ELSE!

Well, _that_ wasn't as composed as she would have liked.

"No."

Ino felt her lasts bit of control snap at the easily spoken word and despite the fact that she was pissed beyond belief, Ino was on foreign soil and had to be a role model. She _knew_ what was expected of a visiting ninja but .. well….

Fuck that.

Rushing with hard–to-follow speed she launched herself at the sand window, hands flying in seals: tiger, dragon, tiger. A small gap was created in the sand, a target she clawed at while savage noises ripped themselves from her throat. A big sweet smile set in a petite ill face all that her mind's eye saw through the veil of red.

The hole kept soundlessly filling up, was his supply limitless!

She kept at it though, knowing that it was hopeless to struggle, that she was acting foolish and like an amateur too-boot; but not knowing how to give up. Tears pooled her eyes, refusing to fall but glistening all the same.

Then sand gently, somehow that's the only way she could describe it, wrapped around her. An inch of air between her entire body and the dome. Smart bastard knew that it was dangerous to get too close right now.

Her hands fell limply to her sides; she'd have wait until they left her alone.

Her chest felt tight, but her lungs were open to get enough oxygen to speak.

"I got it, let go."

Tilting her head, Ino took a breath as the sand slithered away before turning fully away from the mess behind her and walked slowly to the door, her steps steady and full of false composure. It was going pretty good Ino thought until she was even with Gaara. His eyes seemed to look right through her, emotionless green that gave her gut a painful heart throbbing tug.

No not emotionless, but a leader's gaze nonetheless.

Unable to fully harness herself, Ino stopped and, ignoring all the bystanders, leaned in until her lips caressed the hair over his ear. Nothing was whispered, nothing was said; Ino didn't have to breathe a word for him to understand. She felt betrayed, hurt, sick, and he knew this. How she knew this was a mystery to even her, but she knew.

It lasted a second and then she was at the door, sending the crowd back-pedaling fast with a single look. Maybe she shouldn't have thrown the bed or had it been her attempt of pursuit? Gaara's voice broke her thoughts.

"Matsuri, go with her and wait until I get there."

Everybody cringe at Ino's explosive scream.

………..

The water burned, the harsh Suna jets beating down on her skin sending her back into memories that she lied about not remembering.

What was Kyoko thinking? Was she terrified? Of course she was, she was a very sick kid who was an orphan and essentially alone in the world. Plus anyone would be scared shitless if they were kidnapped.

Lurching forward, Ino banged her knees against the slick wall as she was sick. Her stomach physically rejecting her feelings since she couldn't get rid of them until there was nothing left to heave.

Standing up with a tingling numbness in her lower limbs and a quivering from her exhausted midsection, Ino distantly began to clean herself again – losing track of time or when the water became cold.

"You're blue."

Small delicately rough hands were there, holding out a towel. Looking up Ino met adorably slanted brown eyes, gazing at her with the same expression Sakura had given her when they had broken their friendship off for a stupid boy; sympathetic but unreluctant. Ino both loathed and admired it.

Taking the towel, she didn't bother to wrap or dry herself off as she headed out towards her clothing – she hadn't grabbed spares. Plus, she could care less who saw her.

Matsuri's shocked voice barely warned her.

"Wait- there's!"

Ino met the dark eyes of Gaara's brother, naked and dripping on the floor as she stared back.

Why was she not surprised that he did not have his brother's manners? The jerk's gaze instantly dropped below her eye level, intently taking a good look at her breast before dipping lower to where the light blonde curls of her pubic hair laid damp against her skin. Ino doubted he saw the silvery scars around her stomach they skimmed by so fast.

When he finally looked up, there was a new appreciative expression on his face. Ino frowned and began to wrap the towel around her, a bit late but poor Matsuri looked like she was going to pass out.

"Nice Ino, but I would have thought you'd shave the pleasure arrow?"

Ignoring the choking sound behind her, Ino coolly tucked the edge of the material so that it wouldn't slip before giving him an indifferent stare.

"I'm not going to shave some natural hair that is actually there for a good reason just because some stupid guy thinks it's_ erotic_. I'm a ninja not a prostitute and I sure am hell not going to please _just anyone_."

Then she smiled, a blatant sexual smile that only a girl who watched her loving parents as they eyed each other from across the table could do, causing Kankuro to freeze with uncertainty. Turning to her dresser to start pulling out her clothes, Ino continued in a false chipper tone.

"Did you know pubic hair is meant to help friction during sex? Also for warmth, pancreas health indication and all that good stuff. Besides, I don't think Gaara would appreciate what you just did, creepy pervert."

This only got a shrug that didn't suggest that he was upset or even remotely cared and the inprompt medical facts, instead his dark eyes fastened on hers with a searching look. She took the clothes in hand and turned to face him onward.

Matsuri was the one who spoke, her voice quiet but firm in the stillness of the room.

Ino wanted a drink; one of those hard ones that her dad tosses back like water with Shikamaru's and Chouji's dads. Anything that would set her blood stirring to the point of dizziness, and more importantly, numb her to the words that reached her ears.

"Why would Gaara be upset Ino?"

Why was a very good question; why a little girl? Why a man who looked like a beaten boy, who _had_ been an abused boy? Why did she want him so bad without any regret?

Why indeed.

……..

She wasn't sure of the woman. The young kunoichi from the Leaf was tall, long pale legs gleaming with sheen from the shower, youthful looking features with all the blonde and blue coloring you would expect to find a small child or expensive doll.

Nothing that would scream ninja or killer yet there was definitely a dangerous air about her.

Matsuri was reminded of the unpredictable wind, gentle and cooling one moment while wild and ruthless the next.

Watching those eyes, as big as the sky and just about the same color, as they turned to meet her own without a hint of hesitation or indication of what she was thinking, Matsuri found that she was even more wary of the older kunoichi.

This woman had somehow caught something inside of Gaara that no one has ever even been close to _poking_ and yet this girl-like ninja comes skipping into their territory and suddenly he _watches_ her with such a look that Matsuri didn't believe Kankuro until she had witnessed it herself when they had been in his office. His beautifully stormy clover eyes had only left the obnoxious blonde when he absolutely had too, but even then she had noticed how his body was turned –not towards her- but in a way that gave hint of protection.

What was even more curious was that Yamanaka, or Ino, whatever, did it also. Well, not so much the same but her movements were a dead giveaway of just how much she was aware of their precious Kazekage. A hand would randomly start to reach out towards him before quickly dropping or going up to rub the slender neck. How she was constantly within in touching distance of him, as if she thought he needed physical reassurance for only god knows what.

"Oh, just a hunch."

Narrowing her eyes at the annoyingly evasive attitude the blonde had as she slinked back through the bathroom doors to change in privacy, Matsuri tried not to listen to the seething child inside of her.

Gaara wasn't her love, not even her crush, he was much more important than that and she would gladly spill every drop of her blood if it meant he would be happy. This bond was deeper than a sibling, teacher-student, lover would ever have. She had witnessed first-hand the trials and pain he had to go through to become seen as a human in this unforgiving village and once it had even been for her specifically.

Sharing an unreadable glance with Kankuro of two people who held someone precious in-between them, Matsuri took a deep breath and swallowed her senses.

"I will kill you Ino Yamanaka of the Hidden Leaf, if you hurt him. He has been through enough games of monster-human to last a lifetime and I will _gladly_ cut yours short if he becomes under any duress. This is my oath as his first and only student; do not think to take me lightly."

Then because she was fighting back the enormous lump in her throat, Matsuri choked out the part she hadn't wanted to say.

"I love him, as the only family I have left….his happiness is everything.."

Then, despite the orders given, she fled.

………………..

"You shouldn't have pushed her into a corner you know."

Safe inside the bathroom, Ino clutched the towel tight against her chest, legs giving out. Sprawled on the floor, she let her "cool-guy" mask slip away as she stared unseeing at the ceiling.

"Funny, since it seems that is what everyone has been doing to me since I got here."

Listening to the sounds of sand scraping in the storm – Ino swung her arms up to cover her face.

She didn't want to blame anyone but still had the human need of having someone to aim all her emotions towards. It was unreasonable, selfish, but very real.

"That is your job, to take whatever we throw at you and fix it – Doctor Yamanaka."

A tail of anger flickered inside of her at the assumption; knowing that he was right but not wanting him to be. Instead of following down that tread of thought, Ino growled.

"You know that's not what I meant asshole."

The answering silence was enough to settle her nerves. Pushing back the drained feeling of being involved in too much coupled along with the fact that the small room was still steamy from the shower, Ino shoved up onto her feet with the abandon towel around her ankles.

Mechanically slipping on the clothing she had chosen, Ino mentally started going over all the medical records she had compiled of Kyoko, and then over all the rather suspicious behavior that's been going on around the abducted girl.

Kira had been a traitor, but a very weak insignificant one, of this she was sure. He had only recently been brought up from the bottom of the food chain, and that was because of her arrival – something that had been short planned and short notice. So the real backstabber had to be someone in the up-ups of the medical chain of command. That made the list very small.

That was out other hands though, for right now all Ino thought of was sweet vengeance. She was going to go after the bastards, and after slowly ripping each one's spinal cord out from their mouths, she would then bring Kyoko home and take her and an important redhead out on a chaperoned date.

Giving her appearance a cursory glance in the small mirror, Ino gave the rumpled and damp outfit of one last tug before turning around in time to watch the door in front of her open up.

Behind the sweat dewed door was the most down dressed Gaara she had ever seen. His armor was gone along with the gourd, leaving him looking decidedly childish in a baggy red shirt and those skinny black ninja pants that were usually hidden underneath the extra padding's.

Very dangerously appealing.

Clearing her throat when they continued to eye each other wordless, Ino twisted her lips up in a leer that could only be described as "dirty old man".

"Hello there, where's your mommy little boy?"

…….

He was tired, dead tired, but that was a bodily feeling that Gaara had been use too since he was, well, born. As an infant, crying hadn't relieved the constant ache of sandy eyes and screaming from his abused body, so he had become silent.

It had been an especially long day, and his body groaned and creaked with agreement. All he wanted, for once, was to lay down and not move. He wouldn't even be greedy and ask for sleep, just being off his feet would be enough.

Baki had urged him to go to his rooms and rest before doing anything else about the child. His advisor had been cold and dismissive, bluntly telling him that the probability of her survival was almost zero and that there was no use losing sleep over such impossibility. To go to sleep and tomorrow send out a search team to recover the poor soul's body.

Gaara couldn't.

Staring now into shadow encircled eyes that reflected every back in a fiery blue, the Kazekage of Suna could not give up such hope.

Letting his eyes trail over the rest of her in search of the hidden weapons he knew she would try to take when she tried to sneak out after the child, he stiffened in surprise. Ino was wearing her old Leaf outfit, the faded purple material stretched over her chest, leaving the lightly scarred midriff exposed above the equally faded skirt.

That's when Gaara knew; she hadn't meant to sneak out at all. Ino was going to push herself into the team, or else.

……………

"Hey, should I leave you two alone or something?"

Kankuro's affect on her was, generally speaking, like rubbing cayenne pepper into her eyes.

Opening her mouth to say something that would have undoubtfully been inappropriate, she was abruptly cut off when Gaara swung around to look at his brother, who was indolently lounging on her rumpled bed.

"Yes."

For some reason, ignoring the fact that she was always irritated when Gaara didn't take up the offer of sitting on her bed, it really bugged her to see his brother doing so without even a hint of hesitation.

Focusing her aggravation on him was a good outlet; Ino marched over to the bed and with one hand wrapped around his ankle, yanked him onto the floor without even disrupting her messy covers.

Meeting his surprised stare with a scowl of her own Ino shook a finger down at him.

"Don't lay on other's beds without- "

Pausing midsentence as what Gaara's answer had implied, mystified, Ino slowly turned to stare at him again. She must have imagined it, there was no way that the short kiddy looking guy in front of her was answering a sexually implying question with a straight forth affirmative.

He spoke quietly, sounding ever more like a bullfrog; Ino didn't once move other than to blink as his eyes locked with hers once again. It was all she could do to not leap the distance between them and begin to choke the naiveté out of him.

"Go set the team up, recon only; I want information before we move."

Dark brown eyes flickered over towards her, but he nodded before turning away when she didn't budge. She wasn't going to argue, it was a good idea. Ino just wasn't going to follow it, that was all.

Once the taller, broader jouuin left the room, her apartment door shutting with a soft bang, did Ino finally turn her entire body, slight sneer lighting on her face as she gesture towards his crossed arm position in front of the door.

"What, think I'm going to kill any other guard and so you are taking a personal interest?"

His expression didn't change as he mildly shrugged. The casualness made her teeth grind.

"I would rather not have to deal with the Hokage over that."

The reminder was enough to put a small damper on her vengeful mind. The Hokage, was, a sure damn inconvenience. Finally breaking the staring contest Ino went to the small window, looking out at the storm, forcing her body to relax.

"What a dirty trick, bringing up my superior, trying to remind me of my place."

His footsteps couldn't be heard but she knew, she always seemed to know, when Gaara had stopped behind her. A warm presence that was, at the moment, a cage. A prison that she both loved and hated.

For a while neither said anything, letting the sandstorm beat against the walls talk enough for both of them.

Ino's mind flinted from one thing to another too agitated to zone in on one topic. Kyoko's chakra system was, like everyone else, connected to her blood – an obvious discovery if anyone chose to look closely. If a person lost a lot of blood, their energy would be low, and what is chakra other than essential energy? It was obvious that she either had a new unprecedented disease or an equally unprecedented kekkei genkei. Either would be okay if they could be properly identified, knowing for sure would make it a hell of a lot easier to ease or even cure.

She wasn't even sure what direction they would have gone if she hadn't been kidnapped.

Finally not being able to handle the silence anymore, Ino turned to find that the vibrant red head was bowed, arms loose at his sides. For a wild second she thought he was asleep but then he sighed and looked up, eyes not surprised when they met her own.

"I cannot let you go, not because of your position or because of any doubt of your ability."

Ino stood shock still as he reached out to tentatively touch her side, thumb gently brushing the remains of a shuriken scar. She shivered as goose bumps that had nothing to do with being cold erupted along the path of his finger.

Swallowing a bit shallowly she breathed out the words.

"Don't cage me."

Just like that the caress was gone along with his presence as he launched himself away from her in a sudden show of raw emotion. His fist neatly broke through the top of her dresser, revealing her underwear when he removed it. His muttering barely reached her.

"What am I doing?"

Holding her breathe, Ino spoke without thinking.

"You can't hold me back, go with me, and fight along with me. Please, please don't break this because of some manly urge."

His breathe came out as a choke, head leaning forward until he was bent over the damaged wood.

"It hurts.."

Frozen to the core, Ino found herself crossing the room in a few strides. She wasn't sure what she was doing, or thinking for that matter. All that was going through her was the elation of giving in entirely to an emotion that they had been trying to kill.

Was it because he could admit such pain without sounding pathetic or weak? Was it because she knew, she knew that he would be the only one who would ever understand fully what she meant when she said "don't cage me"? That they would protect each other while never suffocating.

He spun around just as she flung herself at him, arms wrapping around her wrists like shackles as they twirled in some manic dance that ended up with her back slammed against the wall with his mouth on her neck – teeth pressured against the sensitive skin.

Both gasping, Ino tugged against the tight hold on her, instinct winning out for survival and release. He responded to her struggle by firmly lodging a knee between her legs and lifting up, her dangling feet ceased their movement as he leaned back to look at her.

Ino felt torn between two urges; one was to push a thousand kisses onto Gaara's stubborn lips, and the other was to head butt the jerk for yanking her off the ground.

In the end, she smiled, a real full mouth smile that echoed what she felt in the unburdened part of her heart. Why, because she loved him, and may god save her soul from such an idiotic feeling.

"Gaara.."

She felt her body slowly slid back to the ground, her hands released from their hold but didn't really pay attention. The wild look of an animal had faded from his eyes, replaced with a gaze that pierced through her like a spear.

When her arms wrapped around his neck, Ino felt him flinch – body tight with caution before slowly softening against her. Running a hand throw the downy hair on the back of his head, she pushed her nose in the junction of his neck and shoulder. Breathing in the scent of unwashed body, sun, and the spicy smell of Gaara.

Slowly, after several minutes passed, Ino melted into his chest as his arms responded by wrapping around her waist, warm to the bare skin of her lower back.

Smiling Ino softly kissed his neck.

"Take me to bed Gaara."

His only response was the slight tightening of his arms as he leaned back a little to lift her feet off the ground again, back stepping until his knees hit the edge of the bed. Not wanting to break the contact, Ino simply used her weight to roll them back until they were lying on their sides.

"Awkward."

Giggling at his muffled voice, she hunted until she had both of his clasped tightly in-between their bodies. Foreheads touching with unvoiced love, they laid quiet for a few moments as the noise outside went from a howl to a scream.

"We will find her, alive or not Ino."

A lump formed in her throat at his rough whisper, but nodded while his fingers tightened as he spoke again in a softer oddly more gentle voice.

"Sleep, I won't leave you behind."

As if that was all that her tired, emotionally over run body needed, Ino smothered her face into his shoulder; body against his as if they together completed a single mold and slipped into stormy unconsciousness. The sound of his slow even breathing drowning out the noises of the night.

* * *

* * *

A/N #2:

Okay, so this took a while because I honestly had writer's block and school - college is so draining -.-

There are some...misconceptions..that I would like to address. One: This is above all - a romance, Nothing more, nothing less. I choose to believe that the perception and knowledge of medicine in the NARUTO WORLD is probably a lot more different than ours, for severals the main being oh..chakra and the whole dragonball z likeness. I think this would change how the body works a bit, and that is (from what I gotten out of the manga) not very well known with a lot of depth, especially specific blood line limits. since they are, well, "limited". Thus why they do not seem to know what is wrong. If this offends you, please, feel free to indulge elsewhere. And lastly, I don't wish to sound grumpy but, do Not message me telling me I do not know where I am going with this story or what I'm doing. How the hell would you know? This is especially irritates me since I actually DO know where this is going, and am confused on how someone who is not me would know this.

(coughs apologetically) now that that's settled, I do like reviews, in fact I love them, if they are within the appropriate range of critque. Please do not simply message me saying "You have no medical knowledge." without anything helpful included because that will only result in me not updating. .

Ah! I feel much better! =)


	18. Chapter 18

Ino was uncommonly comfortable. There was no nerve grating chirps from the birds that had taken up residence in the nest out in the tree by her apartment window, and the warm light from Konoha's lazy sun was absent.

This last bit puzzled her, the room she had picked was in the direct path of sunlight and Ino never had the habit of closing her curtains; the spray of light across her face was a very effective alarm clock. It always pissed her off enough to where she got up.

Groaning slightly, she snuggled closer to the wall; deciding groggily that she would investigate this oddity at a later hour.

The wall shifted, moving its arm until it was out from beneath her, emitting a small groan itself.

At this point several alarm bells went off – jerking Ino out of her heavy doze. Survival instincts that could have only been honed by the default of having completely lazy teammates, Ino was thrusted into full throttled as she snapped opened her eyes, while simultaneously shooting off the bed.

"Wha- oh shit!"

Ending in an amused whisper, Ino watched as her 'wall' merely blinked at her with half-lidded emeralds.

For some reason she felt like a child who had been caught with an arm in the cookie jar; except it had been a bed and her whole body.

This feeling was amplified when Gaara grimaced, the hand that she had squished into tingly sleepiness flexing in the air.

"You kick."

She stared incredulously at him- entirely too aware of how inviting the picture in front of her was. The floor was cold and she had just spent the night with evidence of him being a heater.

"I do not!"

It wasn't a smile but a corner of his mouth did twitch as he grabbed the hem of his shirt, and with Ino hastily swallowing a strangled gasp, pulled it up to show an area of mottling skin. Skin that was surrounded with shockingly pale skin stretched out over toned muscles.

Oh dear.

Ino eyed the impromptu body flash in front of her, fighting the grin. What a paste!

"Sand armor acting faulty?"

The look he gave her was unreadable, but she walked back to crawl under the tangled blanket. Leaving enough space between them to fit a child – Ino left the option for him to decide. Except that she shoved her icy feet against his shins, making him jerk in surprise at what she assumed was the fact that her toes had gone frozen and his pants had rolled up sometime during the night.

Serves him right, Lizard.

"I was..asleep."

This quiet admission was followed by seconds of silence, in which a stunned Ino could only blink, her mind sent into a flurry of thoughts.

Memories of his voice on a balcony at a dinner party, whispering of ghost and insomniac haunts, drifted through as she looked at him.

Not sure what she had expected Ino fell back onto a goofy smile and briskly rubbing her thawing toes against his, wait, her legs slowed down as her grin melted into a contemplative look. His growing frown gave her the only hint that he was trying to follow her thought and action.

"Gaara..for someone who almost completely lacks eyebrows, you are…shockingly fuzzy."

The brows in question lowered over smoldering eyes, but she just snickered into the pillow. Too easy, but he _was_ pretty furry for a guy who lived out in the desert, maybe the fact that they pile on the layers caused hair to grow or something? This spurred her into even louder hysterics.

When his arm hesitated before gently wrapping around her waist, sliding her body over until it was snug against his, Ino didn't breathe. Big move and she wasn't sure who was closer to hyperventilating, probably her. The chest pressed to her cheek was moving strong and slow, even if the heart beat was picking up a bit. She smile and snuffled her nose against the evidence of his precious second life.

"Smothering me won't get me to stay here."

And just like that, Ino ruined their peace. The momentary distraction shattering like a rock being thrown into a pond and now the damned waves of struggling emotions was set free.

She shook, and his body seemed to engulf her protectively in response. It was still weird how he could change his presence without even twitching. She wish she could learn to do that.

"Wait, news will soon come."

Biting back a rather uncalled for remark on where he could take 'waiting' and shove it, Ino knew he was right. Unfortunately. They couldn't do anything except wait until the others came back from either finding some new information or from tracking. Curling her fingers into the fabric that covered his chest, Ino felt him rest his chin on the top of her head, and tried not to be too much of a girl or doubting Thomas.

What an odd split between emotions. Deliriously scared of the happiness that came from being around Gaara, and the numbing furious fear of what could be happening to her key patient.

"Can Suna ninja track in sand storms? Konoha can but it takes a lot of skill and effort – I only know of a few who can track in hurricanes and such."

Ino doubted they could call out Hinata's team or Kakashi for something that happened in another village and without any real connection to the Hidden Leaf. Still, she would have felt ten times better if Shikamaru or Asuma were with her. They had been the solid rocks in her life for so long that just having them by her made anything better.

But Ino wasn't a child anymore, and even rocks had their own lives.

The hand that had brought her closer hadn't moved from its resting place of her exposed back, but his legs scissor over hers; sharing the gift of warmth without her pulling preciously sensitive leg hairs. Ino was positive that they would be sweating if it was dawn, but something - the lack of blinding light that cursed this land- gave her the clue that it was still night.

"Yes, most are trained, but we don't actively search during a sandstorm. We track until the storm and then it's lost, even chakra trails are ruined with the sand and wind."

It wasn't sugar coated or consoling, Gaara was giving her the facts. For her to prepare herself but also because he only ever gave honesty even if it appeared brutal and callous. Like herself...in a much scarier, kill-you-dead way.

Well, she mentally recanted; out of the two Gaara was the kinder one. Her honesty was usually presented in twisted and generally diabolical ways. What could she say, between her parents and Shikamaru, it was shocking how well she _did_ turn out.

"Sand is such a pain in the ass."

She felt his chin move but didn't feel like smiling herself. Kyoko was probably terrified beyond belief, and her health had been horribly at worse. Ino pushed any further thoughts away from the image of a dark cave with a sick child. Gaara was right, she had to just wait until information came.

There had been a naggling at the back of her mind. A way towards the perfect diversion that she had been forcefully ignoring, but now Ino let a small part of the idea slip through the tightly seal door.

Gaara's body was like a heated lamp; its paleness glowing in the dark, with warmth that seeped into her bones like a drug. Her hand unclenched from his shirt to trail down to its hem. His muscles tensed underneath her palm and a sense of satisfaction pulsed through her.

Pressing her lips against the hollow above his collarbone, Ino paused, her fingers touching the fabric.

"Let me heal your bruise."

When he didn't answer, she slid her hand underneath. Fuzzy or not, Gaara – no doubt because of his early life as an untouchable beast- was smooth. He lack the scars that scattered all ninja's bodies, and it was a novelty to feel. She had worked on so many shinobi who had the twisted knots of scar tissue that if she had only touch this skin without knowing who it was she would have chalk it up to be a civilian.

Finding the slightly swollen skin, above his hip, Ino took a deep breath full of Gaara and began to channel her chakra. Contusions were generally ignored during missions, being as there was usually bigger wounds to heal than a few ruptured blood vessels. Still, from her experience, bruises almost always were accompanied by soreness and that _did_ affect someone's performance. She did kick hard, and was sure that sleep kicking was no different.

"I doubt you'll feel this, you're a frickin' heater anyway that the heat of the mystique palm is probably cold to you."

Concentrating on the trickling flow of mixed energy, Ino leaned closer, unable to withstand what her body wanted. Like a stupid zombie, she thought grumpily.

Then his hand began to move, a slow steady movement that allowed his finger tips to trace her spinal cord. Leaving a trail of goose bumps underneath his palm. It made her wanted to purr and squirm away. Why did he fill her with contradictions?

Her attention, suitably, distracted was brought back full forced when her palm was burning. Jerking back, she launched herself out of the bed in a fierce dance of painful howls.

"Ow, ow, ow,ow! Shit, shit, shit!"

This hadn't happened since her early days in the medical training arena with Sakura and Tsunade. Embarrassment flamed her cheeks at such a rookie mistake. Waving her hand in the air frantically, Ino didn't notice Gaara until he was blocking her hopping passage. A hand had firmly grabbed her wrist, halting her movement.

Apparently he wasn't feeling sore at all.

"What did you do?"

Biting her lip in irritation, she glared at him.

"_You _and your perverted hand ruined my concentration!"

In attempt to cool the sensation of burning alive, Ino tried to move her hand but when met with his resistant she leaned her head to blow on the rather red appendage instead.

"Man this hasn't happened in forever, when you start to use too much chakra for something and since your chakra wants to stay with you it will turn back and wa-la – you burn."

She didn't glance up when his whole body began to twitch, but aimed a clumsy kick at his shins.

"Why don't you …heal it?"

Oh yeah.

Leaning back, she glared at him while bringing up her other hand with threatening evidence. When he let go, a _damn smirk_ on his face, Ino quickly closed the distance between her hands. Sighing loudly at the relief of the curiously odd sensation of having her own chakra flowing through her system; it wasn't something a medic tried to do often. The rules were to keep yourself out of the way so you can use your energy on others, but Ino was sure this was an exception.

His grin was gone, if she could call it that, but his eyes were sparkling black orbs in the dark. The contrast brought in sharper with the night around them and his pale skin- the tattoo cutting starkly across the lightness. Like a demon straight from Hell.

It was a deliciously tempting from the darker feeling that was tightening her stomach. He must have been able to see her expression despite the dark because Ino found herself swallowing nervously as he closed the small distance between them.

This time she couldn't blame a hot hand or even hot flashes. By the gods, she felt as foolish as a western woman wearing those silly frilly things that crushes their ribs!

Gaara was, to her subconscious's amusement, not a man of boundaries. He did what he wanted, and it didn't matter who it inconvenienced. His nose was just a smidgen above hers; tipping down until his solid mouth was hovering in front of hers. No one, she vaguely thought, could get her so flustered without even a single touch.

It was incredibly annoying, but grudgingly admirable.

Her hands were there, touching his face, tracing the smudges underneath his eyes. She couldn't help it, really, he was _there_ and she was _here_ and that seemed how things should be. Ino just wished that she was where his there was and he was where her here was. That was so scary and yet she couldn't, didn't, want to pull away.

"Just kiss me dammit."

It was maddening, how endless his eyes seemed as her lids began to flicker down in anticipation. Her hands were hovering in front of his chest, unsure if they wanted to complete the distance. Gaara's hand seemed to be having the same problem in the area of her waist.

There was a second where their breath seemed to mingle before his lips tentatively touched hers. Like a wisp of hair brushing past in the wind, and then it's gone. A taste, a tease, and it bugged the hell out of her.

Ino was not passive, she would be the first to admit it, but it seemed that Gaara didn't like being pushed to the back seat ether.

As soon as her lips took over, pushing and nudging with more force, her irritation deciding her hands firm grip on the material of his shirt; Gaara seemed to have been brought up to speed. It was amazing to her, how warm his lips were as they molded against her with a growing competition. She felt herself heat up, a small part of her wanting him to take over while another part wanted to run away.

"Ah!"

She ignored her gasp when his hands hurriedly ran up her sides, thumbs brushing things that were most certainly not part of her ribs. Her own hands were apparently trying to strangle him, wrapped tightly around his neck as his tongue first hesitantly probed before joined with hers in something that was becoming a bit messy.

Ino felt as if she was going to combust, poof! Go right up into smoke if his sneaky fingers brushed the soft outer edge of her breasts again.

"Gaara-"

When he stiffened Ino threw her hands away, her body turning to the door automatically like a teenage girl that just got caught with her boyfriend – the lusty fog in her mind finally taking notice of the approaching bodies. Without a word exchanged, she silently made her way back to the cold bed, the feel of his hand smooth as it slid across her stomach.

She desperately ignored the pulsing in her mouth and rather guilty pace of her heartbeat. Whew, that was a surprise all right. One that went from her head to her toes like a pleasant shockwave.

Slipping underneath the forgotten covers, Ino reached out a hand to grope for her weapons pouched when it was shoved unceremoniously under her nose. Taking it she put it underneath her pillow before placing her head down gently. After a moment she kicked around and struggled to get into a reasonably good duplicate of how she usually slept.

Gaara's amused expression was short lived as he turned back to the door, arms crossed as if he had been standing vigil the whole night.

Closing her eyes to the barest slit, Ino let her breathing go into what Shikamaru dubbed the "bear mode", a trick that Asuma had taught them. It was a mildly lame mediation technique he had pushed upon them for relieving stress- mostly hers- had also turned out to be a good "faking sleep" trick too.

Not that Shikamaru had needed it, that jerk-off could pass out faster than any narcoleptic she knew.

Gaara's body blocked most of the door, but Ino could still sense several pairs of feet making their way down the hall. She wasn't worried, it was most likely the shinobi who had been sent out coming back to report. Bout time too.

Still, she was surprised at how they were acting so secretive – but then maybe he thought they would be more communicative if she pretended to be asleep. Which would make them really lousy ninja but she wouldn't pass judgment right now, just as long as they had what she wanted.

So she would wait, and might as well enjoy the view in front of her.

………………..

Temari didn't bother to knock before pushing open the door. Striding through, she paused to glance back at her hesitating team. She wouldn't blame them this time; if this had been a normal situation she would have at least taken a minute or three of serious contemplation before barging in on her littlest brother, especially since he wasn't in his room in the dead of night.

Not only did she not want to ruin a novel experience for him, but no sister ever wanted to walk in on a possible traumatizing scene.

But this was important, especially to Ino, so Temari had taken a second to pray for poor vision.

Her eyes had locked with his the moment she had taken a step in, putting all disgustingly unstoppable mental images to a halt. He was standing in the direct path to the bed, which had a sprawled out kunoichi 'sleeping'. All clothing was properly accounted for; if a little rumpled.

Temari took a breath and thanked the heavens that her other sibling was not present, Kankuro's lack of verbal control would have gotten him killed; and Gaara's lips – though it was difficult to tell in the current light- seemed a bit puffy.

"Kazekage, Kankuro got back just minutes ago – him and his team are waiting in your office."

Without waiting, she turned and curtly nodded for a retreat, following them while ignoring the burning curiosity and unease. Did those two really know what they were getting into?

She tried to ignore the pang of jealous envy.

……………….

Kankuro didn't _hate_ Yamanaka, but nor did he _love_ her either. The woman was something of a novelty in Suna, where almost everyone was dark and brown like their environment, she was bright as the sun beating down on them. Where conservative elders held tight reigns, Ino waltz in like a flurry of poisonous flowers without restraint.

She was smart, sexy as hell, and sensual. The entire three S's that he found attractive. Yet, Kankuro didn't desire the brash blonde, and this confused him.

Shaking his head like a dog, releasing a cloud of sand and dirty, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. It had been one hell of a night, and it wasn't even half over. He hadn't needed to take his own team out for tracking, but Kankuro wouldn't have trusted it to anyone else.

Which brought him back to his original issue.

He should be lusting after Ino, it was the logical thing for his promiscuous ways, but he wasn't. This didn't bother him so much as the reason to why he wasn't; Gaara.

Their relationship had once been based on pure fear, on his part, and twisted loathing on Gaara's. Now though, now they had a real bond, just as brothers should have. Although there were some definite dents and kinks in it, it was something they both silently acknowledged and depended upon.

He cared for Gaara, a lot, and this was the real issue. Ino had caught his little brother's eyes the moment she had flippantly spoke to him when she first arrived. The moment she had casually told them to lay off the shadowed memories and to get over themselves, Gaara had been attracted to her. Without even knowing it though Kankuro and Temari picked up on it instantly.

In his, silent, opinion Kankuro saw the Leaf kunoichi as a beautiful swaying viper; teasing and coiling her shiny gleaming scales until the prey she was luring in was in striking distance. Gaara was undoubtedly the unsuspecting prey.

This was probably a very unfair comparison, but then Gaara had never been in a real relationship. Ever. Kankuro suspected that was mostly because he avoided them like the plague. Girl's, in the redheads view, were much scarier than Shukaku or 'kagehood.

So this was the focal point of the whole ordeal. Kankuro wasn't entirely set on the idea that Ino might have possibly led Gaara to fall in love with her, or at least into lust. It was hard to differentiate from the two at the best of times, and throw his sibling in was far from best. Still, he had seen the way they revolved around each other, like a constellation that was made up of only each other.

It wasn't a physical thing either, not in a way he understood. There was obviously nothing sexual going on, at the moment, because when he made sexual comments Temari still got pissed at him; and he knew that the day Gaara popped his little cherry his sister would somehow know about it. The girl had ESP when it came to Gaara and emotions.

But something was there, something that he probably would never understand. Gaara moved without thinking, well not too much thinking, when it involved Ino. The girl, likewise, seemed drawn to his baby brother, as if she wasn't entirely aware of it.

He remembered the day when he had hovered out of sight as Gaara "sparred" with her temporary team and her in the desert. The match was a set up really, to see how she reacted, and react she had. That wasn't what had caused him concern though.

It was afterwards, when he had clearly dismissed everything, Baki and Temari included, and yet his eyes had clearly been on Yamanka the whole time. And hers had been on him.

The tension was almost tangible, and Kankuro had to hold himself back from interrupting. They had gone from casual bantering, the words lost on the wind, but he remembered the way they were. As if nothing else existed, as if they would take each other and be lost forever.

That's when he had sent the poor genin with a wildly poor excuse about Baki needing the Kazekage.

Now there was this whole thing with the kid from the sick ward. Kids die, Kankuro knew this was a fact of life, sometimes they got sick and sometimes they didn't get better. The probability of the little girl being alive when they find her was beyond slim, and if she was he knew she was probably going to be better off dead.

Kidnappings that involved children, especially ninja born children, usually involved long torture sessions to discover kekkei genkei or some clan jutsu. This one was no different except that Ino Yamanaka wouldn't budge on her Konoha Leaf mentality.

That village, they just didn't ever give up, never slowed down, and never thought anything was impossible. It was irritating but only because he could never be like that. Gaara was like that now.

A familiar chakra brought him out of his thoughts, looking just as the door swung open to reveal the bemused expression of Temari. Pushing away from the wall, he started towards her just as her slanted eyes looked up at him.

"What happened?"

Temari looked at him, hesitating only briefly to debate whether him being annoying for not knowing or being annoying because he knew was worse before shrugging indifferently. Ino needed some rough talk from someone, and it sure as Hell wasn't going to be her.

"They will be here soon, rumpled."

She didn't bother hiding the smirk when his eyebrows skyrocketed. Let the pervert use his dirty mind to fill in the rest.

.............

* * *

A/N: Wooo Finals are OVER!! Now I can stay up late with my laptop and sleep in all day. haha!

For this chapter, I like to think the band Trading Yesterday had a lot of inspiration. Check them out! "Love Song Requim" is deliciously Gaara Ino =)

The last part of this chapter, Kankuro, was to give him some stage time and how he feels. I think he's grown a bit of a brother complex ;)

Well I got Gaara Ino's story figured out, I'm thinking about writing two spin off ficlets of the other pairings that are going to start popping up - remember that and tell me what ya think =P

Let Till next time!

Thanks for the reviews!!! ;)


	19. Chapter 19

Ino figured the storm must have raged itself into a calm quiet, for the nail raking noise of sand against solid objects was absent as she walked alongside Gaara.

If you could call it a walk, she wasn't sure how he had learned how to run without making the exaggerated movements. Probably something else he had picked up during his beast rampage, 'cause she sure as hell was not able to walk-run.

Not that she didn't appreciate the intended purpose of getting to the side of the building where his office was, still..

"Not that I mind the oddly new burn in my thighs but wouldn't it be easier to just run?"

His glance was withering but Ino remained undaunted, flicking a tongue out in response.

As they got closer to the Kazekage room, Gaara was obviously morphing into the little change that made him very formidable as a leader. Which entail his walk slowing down and stepping ahead of her and generally looking surly and blank faced.

Not much difference really, but she snorted softly at the tactics. Really, he might only be fooling his entire village, but not her. She was a Yamanaka, she knew all about public farces.

"Behave."

She fluttered

innocently at the grim eye he pierced at her from over his shoulder. Reaching up to twirl a piece of hair with a finger she giggled obnoxiously high and spoke in a falsetto.

"Why Kazekage, I do declare you think I'm some strong willed bimbo!"

He wisely chose to ignore that.

……….

The office was a bit crowded to say the least. Kankuro with Matsuri and Risa were hogging the right side while Temari and two weathered looking Jouuin men, one with a lovely scar twisting one eye while the other just looked old and grumpy.

Gaara proceeded walking till he was standing behind his desk. Leaning down to effortlessly picked up the gourd that had been leaning against the wall; he shrugged it on without a word.

A man of show if nothing else she thought with fading amusement. He was setting the tone to fit the situation, and like a magic trick she felt her own mood slip off the façade of being okay and letting the ire emerge.

Decision time was growing closer and she was not going to be left behind.

………….

He let his eyes drift over the room once; taking in each face and the room. Baki was absent but that was because of his own orders, so he brushed that fact away.

Temari looked tired but her back was straight and a tell tale sign of red trailed along her tan skirt. A look in her oceanic eyes all he really needed to know about the rogues but still he nodded towards her in silent permission.

She nodded back before taking a breath, a leg inching out in habit to rest at a jaunty angle, a gloved hand coming up to lightly rest on her hip.

"The rogues, there was four actually – the highest we've ever had – were indeed from Sound. We were able to track one down, two were the ones who performed the kidnapping and the fourth had already gone back to Orichimaru's dark hole. "

The jouuin to her left, Haru, twitched with satisfaction.

"We were…able to get some information out of the one, he didn't survive though. I apologize Kazekage."

A movement from Ino drew his eyes to the door. She had been holding up pretty well after Temari had come to get them, but now her affectionate features had melted away into the hard cold mask that he vividly remembered her wearing during the Chuuin Exams. A cold flower between her hard teammates.

A brief second he wondered if she missed them, before dismissing the thought. He would miss his siblings and their reassuring presence if he had to be sent to a foreign country, Ino wouldn't be any different.

Rotating his eyes back to his sister's shrewd ones, Gaara spoke in a soft voice.

"What did you find out?"

She reached a hand up to scratch the back o her neck, a gesture that had him reminded of someone he couldn't put a finger on, but her eyes narrowed.

"Snake man was keeping tabs, and not just on us, but he was also trying to 'recruit'" she sneered the word "special cases to make into his little zombies. I figured that whoever is leaking information must have told him about Kyoko and the possibility of her having some new..thingy."

He knew that she had been holding back, so it was no surprise when Ino spoke from her area of the room; he had already turned towards her, anticipating her interruption.

"The interceptor of the reports probably got that idea. Who cares about this, where is she?"

Ino was growing impatient. All this new Intel was fine and fancy but she didn't have all frickin' day! There was someone's life on the line, very literally!

Turning towards Kankuro, she stepped towards him a few feet before stopping; making her intentions clear.

Behind the desk came a quiet sigh.

"Kankuro, were you able to follow them?"

Her eyes watched his painted face as he looked at his brother, interlaying a message not meant for others, before speaking in his baritone. It was odd how contrasting their voices were with their appearances, but at the moment all she cared about what how fast he spoke. It wasn't fast enough for her.

Her fingers itched to perform a few hand signs to just go in and get what she wanted.

"We were able to pinpoint the general location but the storm stopped us from further tracking."

She tried not to scream, keep calm Ino, she needed the location. Luckily Gaara beat her to it.

"Where?"

Here Ino saw Kankuro look towards Temari. It was a look she saw between Kiba and Hana, a look she's only ever been close enough to do with Chouji or Shikamaru. The look of siblings sharing something that was dealt with within the family; and will stay in the family.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Matsuri step forward and recalculated the look; it had something to do with Gaara and Shukaku.

"Arg! Spit it out already!"

She glared at them when they turned towards her, but Ino held her ground. This wasn't the time for secrets and no-tell policies dammit!

Gaara was the one who answered, uncannily perceptive despite his naiveté in other areas of his life.

"River country."

Squinting hard at him, Ino mentally tried to retract everything she knew about the little known country that was squeezed between wind and fire country. It was either escaping her or she was getting old. Her deduction skills on the other hand weren't rusty at all, and she watched as Gaara stared blankly at Kankuro and Temari; who had stiffened up in some reaction.

Everybody else was stiff too for that matter, and she had the wild urge to wiggle around to make sure she didn't go cold statue too.

She couldn't help it; she shivered delicately and indicated the atmosphere with a hand when Gaara's eyes turned towards her.

"Stifling isn't it? Is that where you lost and gained a lot of things?"

Where he died and he had been revived. A lot of emotions lie in that small country and even Ino knew when to respect something. So when he simply lowered his lids, she backed off without a fight.

Instead she began to briskly rub her hands together.

"Alright, so in that direction then? So I'll –"

Kankuro made a sudden gesture, cutting all eyes towards him. She watched with growing determination as he stepped closer to her, a frown on his painted lips. Oh no, she knew someone was going to fight her going with them but she had expected it to be Matsuri or Baki – who wasn't even here. Not Kankuro, surely he wasn't _that_ stupid?

Of course, as past comments of his floated through her head, Ino wasn't so sure he was anything but stupid.

"Kazekage, I suggest the Konoha Leaf Kunoichi stay here while we go retrieve the, girl."

Ino, being her loud opinioned self, didn't bother letting Gaara answer. Instead she stepped closer to the offender and pierced him with a look that has sent the likes of Naruto shivering in his boots.

"I'm going."

She wasn't quite sure why he was resisting, but didn't like it. Hands balled into loose fists at her sides, Ino lowered her chin with bulldog stubbornness. The message was clear; she was going with them or without them. And the latter would cause a bundle of endless problems.

He stepped closer, crowding her personal space, willing her with his sheer overwhelming physical presence; Ino didn't budge.

"No, you are not Suna, you have no right."

Matsuri and Temari briefly closed their eyes in shared grimaces before opening them to see the two in an impasse. Ino hadn't responded but her body was leaning towards the strong suggestion of violence while his was responding with an answer.

Temari glanced at an abstracted Gaara, who wasn't – for once- looking at either of them but off to the side as if he was weighing options and doing it fast.

Looking back to see the two jouuin tensing at her sides, Ino's growing sneer as she slid a leg back, and Kankuro's answering one Temari mentally steeled herself before jumping forward and smacking both of them on the back of the head; causing the two to smash foreheads with a painful but satisfying crack.

"Could you two possibly turn the bitch down to low for a minute? Gaara, what do you want us to do?"

It was true that usually ninja's that were not part of Suna were not allowed to go on missions concerning their own, but that has been broken a bit too many times; specifically where Gaara was concerned. After all wasn't Ino's mere presence a show of foreign dependency, or at least the two countries trying to be good allies?

Not to mention the woman's pure tenacity; if she was left behind then she would leave on her own. That alone would cause so many problems that Temari didn't even want to consider them all. The highest being Gaara's reaction to it and her old team from Konoha showing up to complicate things.

"Temari, are these shinobi high levels or low?"

She thought it over for a minute, running through the information before meeting his eyes again. Gaara wasn't one to put pressure on people to make his own decisions, but he would ask questions to help his own. He was a good Kazekage, one she was proud of.

"I'm not sure of specific jutsu's but if they are Sound then there is the possibility of them possessing curse marks. So I would put them as high, as a precaution."

He nodded once before turning his back on everyone.

Temari watched as Kankuro, rubbing his forehead, shrugged before backing down. Ino stayed where she was, relaxing her shoulders but keeping a trained eye on the redhead in front of her. It was impossible to tell what the blonde was thinking, and for a moment Temari had a sinking feeling of what would happen if the little girl wasn't alive when they found her.

…………..

She was going, she wasn't sure how she knew, but Ino felt the elation as soon as he turned his back on everyone. Intuition from being a woman indeed.

So Ino wasn't surprised when Gaara turned back to face the waiting crowd a moment later; his eyes sought hers out before meeting everyone else's.

"Temari, Matsuri, and Ino will go."

This was a shock, but nobody showed their shock except for Temari and Kankuro. They probably thought it would have been the opposite, but Ino didn't care. She nodded grimly before Gaara showed up at her shoulder in a blur. Everyone looked at them as Gaara put a rather too firm hand on her shoulder; steering her backwards out of the room without a glance to anyone else.

How rude.

"Hey, hey! At least let me walk normally you punk!"

He didn't answer, simply letting go of her so she could twist around to see where he was taking them. There was a balcony about two meters from the room, double wide doors leading to a wide ledge that encompassed a lengthy stretch of walking space.

Following him through the doors Ino watched as he walked ahead of her to stand at the railing. Lean body straight even with the heavy gourd on his back, hands crossed at his chest, for a moment she really thought she saw the burdens of his position bearing down on his shoulders.

"Gaara, you only became stronger after the Chuuin Exams right?"

Any other person would have shifted uncomfortably when a bad past was brought up but not the Kazekage. The only thing that moved on him was the shock of red hair that was waving from the wind. She was sure he would have collapsed long before now if he had held onto what had happened. Grudges are dangerous things.

Ino didn't hesitate as she began walking until she was a foot behind him. She didn't need to say anything, knowing that he would sense her presence.

"I think you only got stronger because you understand the preciousness of those around you, ne?"

Side stepping, she took up the railing on his left, not looking at him but at the landscape in front of them.

"At first I thought it really sucked here, all this brown shit flying around and getting into places it shouldn't, but it is like its people; rough but unpredictably wonderful. Well, most of them anyway, some I can't vouch for."

Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, Ino smile sadly as she continued.

"Thinking of that makes me think of them, all the people I would die to protect; Dad, Asuma, Chouji, Sakura..Shikamaru..and everyone else in Konoha. I never really stopped and thought of whom I would live for, ya know? What an unsettling thought. Then I wondered if there was anyone who would live for me if I died."

Gritty wind ruffled past her face and she felt the coarseness across her cheeks.

"But after a while I started to realize that I would live for any of them just as I would die for them, it was a wonderful revelation."

Turning from the cloudless sunrise, Ino faced Gaara, leaning an elbow on the railing as she made direct eye contact.

"I am a kunoichi; my job is to finish the mission. But as a doctor and woman, my passion is to protect those who need or can't protect themselves."

Staring into those beautiful green eyes, Ino felt the desire to reach up to and trace the bruise skin surrounding the glittering orbs, to move touch the soft hair. She casually clasped her hands together to kill the urge.

"You're glad."

It wasn't question but statement as he finally turned to fully face her.

Ino unconsciously straightened her posture, hands dropping to her sides as she spoke in a clear voice.

"Yes Kazekage, I am. That little girl was in my care, her welfare is my responsibility if not obligation."

Gaara took note of her using his title instead of name, knowing she was using it to show that this was coming from a prolong medical kunoichi guest of the Hidden Village in the Leaf, not from whatever she may be when informal.

This was serious.

He understood her need to go help the little girl herself instead of trusting a team of unfamiliar shinobi. It wasn't out of mistrust but the need to do the job herself.

This little girl was Ino's equivalent of his Matsuri. A patient rather than a student, which probably made her feel even guiltier of the girl's kidnapping.

What he didn't like was the fact that she would go but might not come back.

The thought of losing the blonde was terrifying to Gaara. She had opened him up to so much, becoming a fixture in his life of change.

She must have seen something in his expression because Gaara was surprised when she smile confidently, raising her hand up to touch the side of his face with her fingertips. Regardless of who could be or was watching.

"Don't act like I'm a genin! I can totally kick ass and get back here with the kid in less than two days!"

Dropping her hand, Ino watched as the jade eyes widened fraction before narrowing again. She was usually okay with the silence but right now she needed words.

"Gaara, talk please."

Anxiously waiting on the inside, Ino kept her face confident and composed.

"You already made up your mind – I never had a decision."

Blinking at the raspy voice she paused. Of course she had already made up her mind to go, whether he allowed it or not. Of course, on retrospect, she hadn't really hidden her intentions either. She didn't want him to think she always disregarded his wishes, even if she did.

"Yes."

She watched as he stared at her for a moment before a small sigh escaped from between his lips.

"Why does it matter?"

This gave her a start, why did what matter? Her needing him to say something, it wasn't just for politics but something more. Feeling unsure for the first time, Ino tried to dodge the question by asking her own.

"Are you're worried about me or because you don't trust me?"

The first part had been meant as a joke but she was surprised when he answered honestly – unfathomable dark eyes staring into her own – unconsciously pushing against her defenses. She hadn't thought that Gaara would be the one to start prying the lid off of their, well dam she couldn't deny it much longer, off their _relationship_; but now she felt as if she should have know it would be him.

"There are many unknown variables; your family jutsu's might not be much match."

It wasn't outright but she felt the smile on her face; he was worried. Heat bloomed in her chest at the thought.

"I have more than those to work with, I'll be careful. I promise to come back alive and with Kyoko."

She smiled at the name of her little patient. A ferocious teeth showing that promised pain and retribution tenfold.

Gaara closed his eyes for a moment; a feeling of dread blooming through his chest.

.........

Inside the building Temari unabashedly watched the small portion of her brother that she could see from where he was standing at the balcony, a knot forming in her stomach.

It was times like these, when she was sure of what the outcome will be that she wished for _him_ to be here. Him and his solid lazy ass presence that seemed to radiate cool headed calmness, as if he had already figured out everything that would happen and was just waiting for everyone to catch up.

That was also the reason why she was glad he wasn't here.

"The truth is, the kid has probably been tortured and killed if nothing was found and that's only if they didn't find what they needed."

She didn't let the grimace show as Matsuri's blunt words seep from where she had spoken them around her shoulder. The girl's eyes were wide and boring into the Kazekage's back so intensely that Temari was surprised Gaara hadn't sense it, or maybe he wasn't showing it. Ino engrossed him like that, another worry to add to her list.

"We can't assume anything of the sort, and I would be mindful not to speak of such things when we set off."

The younger kunoichi sneered, making her opinion known without having to speak, though she muttered rebelliously anyway.

"Everyone treats her as if she is different, not an outsider like she is."

Surprised at the venom, she broke her sea gaze to turn to look down at the young woman she had fought alongside many times.

Matsuri had always been hesitant, it was a failing and a blessing. Unlike most of her comrades of the same generation, she had the ability to wait and observe, even if it was out of fear. Under Gaara's tutelage she had blossomed into a fine warrior who was quick on her feet and quick with her hands.

The open question personality had always bugged Kankuro, who didn't liked to be questioned, but Temari knew her younger sibling had encouraged it. Matsuri's spirit though, had always been leaning more towards the sunny side, optimistic if realistic. This disdain was unlike her.

Looking back up when the girl stiffened, Temari watched as Gaara and Ino walked back into the office, the blonde walking without her usual flounce. Her unnervingly observant eyes met both of theirs, clear as the sky and just as mysterious, before heading towards the opposite door to leave. She was apparently not waiting.

Gaara walked slowly, coming to a stop by them, his eyes following the retreating kunoichi until the door closed behind her before turning away to ask Kankuro something. For a moment, she had thought he was going to follow her.

Temari waited until she was sure he was fully engaged before leaning close to the girl's ear.

"Can't you tell, she _is_ different."

Straightening up, she rolled her shoulders before speaking in a louder tone.

"Matsuri get ready, we leave tonight."

…………………

A/N: A bit shorter, but I hope you liked it. I switched the style again, wanted to change things up (mostly for me lol)

Anyway, reviews are nice ;) Till next time!

..Some serious butt whooping in the next chapter (I believe ;) )


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: I feel like I must put some kind of warning up for this chapter. There is Violence, and Foul Language. Tragedy and all that Angst goodness. So Don't say I didn't warn you.

Enjoy!

………………………………….

The air was hot and crisp, as if they were standing inside a ridiculously large oven, waiting to be roasted alive. She tried to keep her thoughts on the weather to a minimum, but damn that was hard when it was creating blisters of burnt skin on her shoulders.

So far, while she had been in town, Ino had been able to avoid long uncovered hours out in the blaze, but now she thrust herself into it; as if she were challenging the weather itself.

Still, the pack on her back was a bitch with the raw skin.

They had been moving towards the left, following the trail that Kankuro had described to them as they had paused at the gate of the village. Of course, the trail as long gone after the storm, but Temari was confidently moving in the lead, and Ino wasn't inclined to question her. The girl had grown up here, after all.

In fact, she was in the back, following the other two as they ran across the sand. It wasn't a sprint, as she would have done in Konoha – the leafy trees giving her the shade and the earth a reassuring solid presence – but here the sand dunes, with their shifty mistrustful grains, hindered any heavy movement. If they had tried to seriously run, their feet would only sink, using more energy. Which wasn't good in such extreme conditions, they had only been at it for a few hours and they were already soaked with grimy sweat.

Watching the brunette in front of her, Matsuri had almost refused to even glance her way since they had left Gaara, Kankuro, and Baki at the gate, Ino tried to concentrate on small tasks. It wouldn't do her any good to focus on where they were heading and what might be waiting – she would remain vaguely hopeful because that was what she needed.

Instead she tried to feel her shoes, soft flexible yet sturdy sandals, sink into the sand. The slight weight of her quick movements was still enough to sink a few millimeters before the ground shifted itself, as if the land was alive and trying to heal away their traces. Her heart was steady, trained from a lifelong endurance of constantly having to move, pounding away quietly in her chest.

Her palms were the only thing dry, itching for the muscle memory of jutsus engrained into them, waiting for revenge or rescue.

A small part of her, the part that was analyzing the two kunoichi's movements, longed for two other males; one familiarly large and comforting and the other lithe and troublesomely handy. It wasn't that she didn't have confidence in the two she was with, but those two were a part of her; as if the day they were assigned to each other was as if she had attached limbs to her body. Ino simply felt incomplete without them, it was always this way, a small pang of disembodiment that went from having been separated.

Like, fricking triplets, she felt as if her better halves were missing and it didn't make her any happier.

"We should be at the place where their trail ended soon, an hour maybe."

Temari's harsh voice didn't penetrate through Ino's abstracted thoughts, the blonde was so engrossed in trying to avoid thinking about the situation that she was blocking out everything; her body automatically following the other's lead while she relied on her senses and instinct for any danger.

It was always interesting to her, and albeit scary, how much Ino came to depend on certain people and to not rely on others. She would always be able to say without hesitation, or not even really having to say at all, that Chouji, Shikamaru, and Asuma would always be behind her – even if one would complain the entire time, in truth he would be the first on the scene because his secret was that Shikamaru really did care the deepest. Her dad, of course, would be there to help her or overprotect her. Sakura had once been on the list, but it was hard to forget a betrayal, they were getting better though.

Oddly, most of the rookie nine she knew she could count on, for most problems. Well, minus _that_ one.

Now, she was beginning to think that there was one person who she _wanted_ to be there, first on the list. This petrified and irritated her, because Ino always felt that she made people work their asses off before allowing someone "in" her trusted tiny circle.

Gaara had slipped in almost effortlessly though.

The face rose up in her mind at the mere thought of his name. His features immobile as the stone wall he had been standing in front of as they took their leave, arms crossed over an armor covered chest, hair like a flame dancing on the wind; Ino snorted at the image, causing Matsuri to shoot her a look from over her shoulder.

He hadn't spoken any more to her after the balcony, having been consumed with the sudden protocols of his position.

At the gate though, as Kankuro once again explained the directions, Ino had sought out those shadow troubled eyes. It wasn't a mushy moment of eye gazing; it was simple eye contact, solely for each other.

It wasn't hard to not look back as they had left, because she knew his eyes were going to follow her until she was out of sight, and he knew she knew.

Reaching up to absently wipe the sweat from her brow, Ino almost froze when she caught the tension in Temari's shoulders. The woman's fan was still strapped across her back, a burden which Ino inwardly winced at the weight.

She felt a twinge of anxiety, the anticipation of muscle flexing underneath her heated skin, rolling and tensing for the moment of command. Move to the left, move to the right. Her eyes darted around the area as Matsuri quietly unhooked her oddly dradle shaped weapon, finger curling through the small hoop at the end of the string.

Temari's seriously dangerous fan hissed as she, with almost a blurred gesture, flipped the fan open. There was a flash of reflected sunlight, hitting Ino in the face, before the noise of shuriken hitting the metal reached her ears. Glaring past the light, she saw how the older girl positioned the weapon so that it blocked all of them, her lavender shirt straining with the use of her shoulders as she crouched on a knee. Slanted teal met hers briefly before moving to Matsuri.

Ino swallowed tightly before reaching back to grab a kunai out of her pouch.

"Guess we were a bit farther than we thought."

Matsuri made a sound that resembled a snarl but her movement was halted when Temari hissed quietly throw her teeth. Her expression looked to Ino more like a blood thirsty grin than her simply gritting her teeth from the weakening blows; but then again she might have been self-projecting her feelings.

"We don't know who they are yet, but let's assume they aren't friendly."

Matsuri snorted at this but let the leader continued.

"We all basically long-range, but Matsuri your johyo can easily be both long and short, so you will have to be aggressive until Ino can do…"

Temari trailed off as she tried to think of what Ino could do. The woman's skills were mostly good for recon, and from she's witnessed and heard, it was very dangerous to Ino's body if she did successfully possess a body. Biting her lower lip, the eldest sand sibling wracked her brain until Ino waved her hand nonchalantly.

That really grated on her nerves.

"Don't worry about me Temari, let's see how many and I'll let you know if I'll do anything fun."

Matsuri shot her as incredulous look as if she was pondering her stupidity before turning back to look at her Kazekage's sister. Temari sighed as the last chink of metal hitting metal was heard. Time was up.

"More like anything stupid remember I'm not dragging your sorry dead ass home."

Ino grinned, and she momentarily lost the fight to hold back her own.

Then a big blue eye winked at them before Ino stood up from her protective crouch, blonde hair casually falling back over her shoulder. Matsuri groaned underneath the woman's bright voice, the younger girl didn't seem to catch the change of hilt to the bubbly tone. Temari heard a lot of promises in that under tone, a lot of death.

"Here there, whoa! That was rude!"

The kunai that had been launched at the blonde's forehead whizzed past, her head easily moving to avoid it. Temari motioned to Matsuri, both of them standing up at the same time to face their opponents. Honestly, she had figured they wouldn't meet anybody until at least another day, but apparently she had been wrong.

She hated being wrong. She had a time schedule to keep, and now this was going to bring _them_ sooner then she had wanted.

Easily flipping her fan upside down to lean a hand on the handle while the rest protecting her from the chest down, she eyed the rather gruff looking shinobi in front of them.

Let the blonde talk for a while, she wanted to figure them out.

…………

Ino jerked her head from side to side, grimacing at the audible popping, eyeing the two shabby men in front of them.

"Darling, you look like you could use a bath…or three."

It wasn't in her nature to be quiet, that was for other more calculating people, and she preferred Naruto and Sakura's style of blabbing while working things.

These two ninja looked like they had a rough year, or a few more than that, their clothing were worn and torn in several places. That didn't matter though, neither did the unshaven look or hollow cheeks. What matter was the dark gleam in their smudgy black eyes; they were dangerous without the grunge look.

The taller one, a twisted scar on the visible part of his chest, smiled at her as he fingered a shuriken. He looked like he could eat babies. She shifted towards him, her hands itching with dryness.

"You come for the little brat?"

She lifted her upper lip but caught herself before speaking. Her hand rested on the pouch on her hip.

"Not even going to try and hide that you have her? Well that just makes it easier, bring her and we'll keep you alive..for now."

The other ninja, tall but bulkier made a violent move towards her but was stopped by a raised hand by the former. His eye zoned in on her with a sadistic light.

"I bet you're Ino. No can do, we got people who want the kid for a good price. She's important, or her body is at least."

Her chest squeezed shut, and then she was gone.

Temari wanted to groan but withheld as the rather impulsive blonde disappeared from her side. She knew that the girl should have stayed behind, Ino was too unstable and the fact that they knew her name could only mean two things; they were given information on them or that Kyoko had called her name – which meant torture or fear. Or both.

Konoha ninja were always so emotional.

The sound of steel colliding could be heard, reflecting sunlight sparking randomly as the weapons connected. Temari knew Ino could have easily used a jutsu while she was distracting them, but that went out the window the moment the stupid thug spoke.

Which left the other one, who was obviously the underling, turned away to stare at them. He wasn't much of a talker apparently, because Temari got a glimpse of several hand signs before Matsuri leapt in front of her in what was an obvious engagement of battle.

That was okay though, and the way the younger kunoichi's left fingers fluttered at her was enough of a signal for Temari to back off. She knew that Matsuri was more than capable of handling herself. Gaara has trained her after all, and he was ruthless as a teacher.

This left Temari time to think, and think fast. Their opponents admitted they had the girl, and alluded to some knowledge of knowing about them. This didn't surprise her, they had figured that whoever kidnapped the girl was working under Orochimaru's guide; searching for new and improved specimens to dissect or recruit.

They had also guessed that there were more than two, possibly four or at least one more that would be stronger than the two lackeys.

Letting her eyes move away from where they had been watching Ino's blasé attempt at sweeping the shinobi's feet out from underneath him, she starting intensely searching the surrounding scenery.

The hideaway couldn't be far away, and knowing Orochimaru's nature, it would be in a cave. Something that most people would think should be easy to find in a land that was mostly sand. In fact though, having the exact thing; high sand dune, sparse spattering of cacti or bushes, it was much harder to identify something that could lead underground.

It was the affect from staring at surroundings so similar, the eyes and mind began to play tricks on the person if they weren't careful.

She had trained in this though, straining her vision she almost missed Ino's scream of rage as she sharply focused on a spot about fifty meters away.

………………………

Sweat ran in rivers down her face, soaking the hair at her nape causing the strands to stick irritatingly to her neck. Oddly enough, Ino was somehow aware of the sweat that was building in the cleft behind her knees and backs.

Her palms were dry though, and she felt a satisfying stretch of skin as her hand connected briefly in a harsh slap across his equally sweaty side. Ew.

The heat was excruciatingly more intense in battle than the lousy spars she had been through, but everything was blocked out as his dark eyes gleamed at her; as if he was enjoying a good joke at her expense. It pissed her off even more, urging her body to bend and twist with painful speed as they fought.

In theory, as she flipped over her hands with a flying foot aimed for the soft underside of his chin while dodging his own leg jab, Ino knew she was stalling while Temari figured out where Kyoko was. The woman was like a female version of Shikamaru and his dad; well at her brains. Ino wasn't even sure if Temari knew what laziness was.

It had been an unconscious decision, in place of Nara's absence; her mind had sought out the most trustworthy person with skills similar to his. She would figure things out while Ino did what she did best; distraction.

That was just in theory though, it didn't explain away the physical rage that was building inside of her stomach; causing her jaw to clench until her jaw locked, and her shoulders tense tighter, throwing more force into her punches, her chakra fluttering with thoughtlessness.

In reality she was craving blood revenge, and it was eating away at her control.

In reality she knew that look in his eye.

As if he was reading her mind, a rather disturbing affect on a mind jutsu user, he grinned before catching her smartly in the side with the side of his straight hand. She look out her breathe with a huff.

"Don't worry, there's nothing left. Raki took care of her for ya, torture is his specialty aye, s'why Orochimaru chose him."

The scream was hair stiffening, skin raising, and she didn't even realize it was her own until Matsuri's shout caught her ear.

Her palms slammed together as she ran towards him, his expression showing triumph as he thought she had lost it; maybe she had but it didn't stop her from kicking both feet against his chest with a fine tune of chakra, sending him flying backwards to land on his back several feet away.

She was panting suddenly, as if a weight was place upon her chest, Ino didn't lose concentration though.

"Ino! Ino!"

Ignoring the cries, she watched him slowly get up to his feet like a cat watching its prey. Her hands were forming signs now, as he saw this he laughed out loud. Cocky bastard.

"I know all about your mind jutsu, you won't fool me bitch."

She simply waited, full of virtue patience as he started to run at her. It was only until his expression became confused, his steps slowing, as if he wasn't sure why she was just standing there with her index and thumbs creating a box in front of her.

"I told you that you won't get –"

Ino's smile was absent as she stared at him, every trace of personality gone from her. This wasn't a game anymore.

She giggled her toes, and could hear Temari gasp.

"I remember this, from the Chuuin exams, but instead of hair.."

His face was quickly losing its confusion in favor of an enraged surprise; which in other circumstances would have been offensive towards her pride. This wasn't about her, this was about revenge. Revenge she was committing without even stopping to think what she was getting revenge for.

"Chakra Foot Trap Technique – a bit smoother since I gain a bit more chakra control…really the hand sign is kind of habit for focus."

Not waiting for any answers, or comments, she swiftly reached into her shuriken pouch for a handful. Keeping the line of chakra that she had attached to his body when her feet had kicked him, she looked straight into his eye, feeling the familiar warmth of impending murder that would be followed by shivering cold later when she is alone. This man was going to die, and she was going to kill him.

Letting her hand move, the shuriken flying out of her finger like avenging stars, Ino waited motionless until the expression leaked from his face entirely, his body sliding to the ground with the new choker of weaponry embedded in his throat.

_Everyone I've killed haunts me daily._

She brushed the memory away; those words and who said them would only being a burden, and turned to see Temari staring at her with a blank face. She didn't mention the abandoned shuriken.

"I found it, about 50 meters to the right, behind Matsuri and the other guy. These obviously were from the bottom of the feeder in his sick circle, so I'm guessing that the ring leader is with the girl."

They both turned to their other team member, her small body and small weapon looking ridiculous in the comparison of the stocky creep she was fighting. Ino absently wiped her arm across her brow, not bothering to hide her thoughts.

"That looks stupid, but she seems to be holding up. I'll go ahead."

Temari's hand firmly stopped her movements, causing Ino to fight the urge to throw it off as she looked up to meet her friend's eyes. They were cool pools of slanting teal, like river silk. And just as cold as river water at the moment.

"No Ino, we go as a team."

With this, her hand disappeared as she turned back to watch her fellow Suna ninja. Reluctantly Ino joined her. If she had to watch then it wouldn't hurt to see how good the girl was.

And good Matsuri was.

Her left hand was a blur as it controlled the lender rope of the Johyo, gracefully spinning with incredible speed that had Ino's thought trail to wrist problems and broken fingers. The end looked like top with a wicked point, slightly more elongated than strictly necessary for a child's toy.

She didn't wield it like a toy as it created a blurry shield of circular movement, traveling like a fine tornado around the girl as she repeatedly advanced and retreated. It didn't appear that she had been touched at all, a testament to her skill with the weapon her mentor had chosen for her.

It wasn't clear what his forte was, other than being big, but he seemed to have been able to evade most of the snake like strike of the johyo's wicked tip.

The brunette must sensed their eye or Ino's impatience because she suddenly feinted to the right with her twirling weapon, causing him to step to the right just as her rope caught him around the neck in a strangle hold. The end whipping around until it came to land just above his right eye.

Ino realized then that he was a mute, for he opened his mouth with the effort to catch the lost air – his missing tongue shown to all. Matsuri purposefully began to wind in her rope, her chocolate eyes cold as she movements tightened the noose. Her voice was low, as her gaze stayed concentrated on the struggling hands as he pawed at his throat. Apparently Orochimaru and his companions didn't give him weapons.

"Go on, I saw the place."

They ran past without a second glance.

………….

He was waiting for them as they found the place. Ino had partly expected someone else who was tall, excessive cheekbones, and chalky pallor like his employer but this rogue was nothing like what he had expected. Mid height and weight, mousy brown hair that reminded her with a pang of Tio's, and big brown eyes like a child's.

"I don't need to really say anything do I? I always warned them that Suna was smarter than it was before."

Even his voice was pleasantly average; it made Ino want to gauge her ears with a kunai. Temari stepped to the front, her fan raised with threatening intention. They ignored the announcing footsteps of Matsuri's presence. Ino glanced once to see that the girl had put on a pair of brown leather gloves, her Joyho hooked on her belt.

"Give us the girl, or we will take her."

He shrugged with casual disappointment, and Ino was struck with the odd feeling that he might not be as strong as they had thought. Or at least not up to their levels. This man acted like someone who had a specialty, and was sure someone would protect him because of his importance.

He obviously didn't know his master very well.

"I'm afraid you won't want what's left of her, I might have been a bit too harsh but he only wanted the body really."

Everything went blank.

…………….

Temari raised her fan as Matsuri reached for her waist.

Their eyes widened as the blonde landed in front of the remaining ninja.

"I have this."

Not bothering to wait for an answer from any of the people from behind her, Ino launched herself at the rogue. Instead of meeting her though, he simply tensed as she ran towards him.

His eyes were filled with grim amusement, and when he spoke the taunting tone was easy to distinguish.

"Of course she begged and cried as I cut her apart, though her body was already so weak there wasn't much to do to finish her off."

The sand kunoichi's watched as Ino's speed decreased until the tall blonde stopped. Matsuri's hand grabbed her weapon and began letting out the rope until Temari's hand appeared in front of her.

This man was taunting her, a sadist who enjoyed exploiting his sick pleasures. The analytical part of Temari's mind was whirling with what was being said. Did they get what they needed? What did this mean?

The ninja continued.

"She was a pathetic excuse of a human being."

Ino's snarl of rage was absent for once, and if they had been able to see her face they would have known that the silence was worse. Her expression was a complete blank that would have given Gaara a run for his money.

The ever present wind had her hair blowing across her face, and for a moment Ino was tempted to reach up and repeat what she and Sakura had done in their first Chuuin exams, cutting the locks short.

There was no time for that.

"What, no words? Were you secretly glad that the child was taken out of your care?"

A single shoulder twitch was all the response he got.

Temari was frankly amazed that Ino had remained silent so long.

Then the blonde moved.

Temari didn't blink and she still missed the movement that had Ino appearing behind the ninja's back. Matsuri whistled under her breath, before muttering.

"She's not pulling a weapon or her jutsu?"

Temari's quiet voice was distant as she took in the expressionless face of the Konoha's kunoichi.

"She's going to make him feel every move, look at her face…I've never seen Ino look so intent on hurting someone."

What she wasn't saying, was that she knew that Gaara and Kankuro were going to be showing up shortly. It had been a silent agreement for them to come; Temari knew they wouldn't stay away. Gaara never abandoned a child, and Ino was just another factor. They only decided to come later was because of Ino's connection and right as protector of Kyoko.

She just hoped they didn't come at the wrong moment though she wasn't sure Ino was aware of anything else now that they knew that the little girl was dead.

…..

Ino wasn't sure she felt anything at all. Well, anything other than the cold chilling rage that cooled her heart rate and blood.

It didn't matter if she died during this fight; because she was going to make sure he felt everything that Kyoko had.

Kyoko.

The small girl's face appeared in her mind, the smile that had greeted Ino every time she had entered the room. The determination that was present in the moments before the sadness.

She might not have the Hyuuga's ability to see chakra points, but the last few years had not been in waste.

"Wrist."

The rogue was not the most powerful, nor was he really even worthy of being in the bingo book. She saw him as nothing more than a murderous dog of Konoha's traitor that had to be put out of its misery. With quick speed, she grabbed a wrist and with a well placed thumb, a thrust backward had the area filled with the loud cracking of bone.

Temari smirked as the rogue hissed before throwing his other arm back to hit nothing but air. Only noticing the presences behind her a second later when Gaara stepped up beside her, causing Matsuri to start before blushing with embarrassment at being caught off guard. His eyes didn't stray from what was happening in front of them.

Temari exchanged looked with her other brother, who nodded gravely from where he had come up on Matsuri's other side.

Ino slid easily to the side.

"Lower rib, arm, and clavicle."

A neat mystique palm fist brought another two cracks to the area, as Ino quickly followed by twirling back behind him and bringing an arm around to grip the upper arm and twist viciously while bringing her free hand up to smash down upon the man's collar bone. The delicately shaped bone was one of the easiest to break, and it crumbled under her enhanced fist. He managed to get to her to back off with a kick that successfully landed on her stomach.

Kankuro cringed as the woman let the groaning man fall to the ground. Ino didn't even respond to the hit, she just stood a few feet away, coldly staring down at the ninja he slowly got back to his feet; his body leaning towards his right side to help prevent further pain.

"Is she going to break all the bones in his body?"

Temari grinned viciously.

"I didn't think Konoha knew how to breed such ruthlessness. I like it."

Gaara remained silent as Ino slowly walked towards the man, the only crack in her mask was the way her hands trembled occasional. He wondered briefly if she really could be this ruthless, or if it was going to break her as well.

The Kazekage felt indecisive as he watched the man launch a haphazard attack. Part of him wanted to step in and stop the fight, while another part knew that Ino would skin him alive if he did. After the initial shock she would have at him showing up on a mission she had been told she would go with just Temari and Matsuri.

He had just neglected to tell her that he and Kankuro might show up late. Change of plans happen all the time. His gut had told him to come, and so he did.

There wasn't a thought in her mind as she easily managed to dodge the weak attempts at her visible skin. That had always been a reason for her to wear cut off clothes, they were a trap. Of course enemies would go for the bare 'sweet' spots, and Ino could always tell.

"You must be the one called Ino? She called for you a few times."

The Sand ninja dropped any pretense and grabbed appropriate weapons while Ino's cool demeanor finally broke.

She had called for her.

Finally letting a banshee scream escape her lips, Ino ignore the blatant stab to goad her and threw herself at him.

"I'll rip every fucking organ out of your body!"

She let his fist connect with her shoulder, shifting only slightly to ease the full force. The pain that lanced through her was nothing compared to the pain that made her want to fall apart and tremble. She had let a child suffer. A child that tried to call to her for help.

She would never forgive herself, and took the blows as the beginning of punishment for being an untrustworthy kunoichi. An untrustworthy medic.

An untrustworthy friend.

"Ino!"

Kankuro's sharp cry barely penetrated her mind as a kick to her ribs sent her flying back to land unceremoniously on the ground. He shouldn't have been there, but then she didn't care and wasn't surprised.

Gaara's sand was already sliding out of the gourd and towards the two when Ino's voice cracked through the air.

"No! He's mine!"

He paused, catching the wild look she sent into their direction, seeing the surprise at his appearance, then the flash of something else before the desperation of revenge filled her face but instead of calling the sand back he simply let it fall into the ground. Finally speaking in a low voice.

"Then do it."

Slowly getting up, she ignored the hints of bruises, beginning to gather more chakra.

Temari and Kankuro shared a glance before turning back to watch. Matsuri stared at them with questions in her eyes but Kankuro only shook his head.

"I was going to let you go off easy, simply breaking every bone but now that I'm being called to finish I guess I'll have to just destroy your mind."

The two raised their brows at the words, both thinking similar things. That was going easy?

Gaara simply watched the blonde as her slender hands flew together to form several hands seals before ending in a twist of hands that made a diamond. Her voice was quiet, almost sad sounding as she spoke.

"Mind Shatter jutsu."

He didn't even have time to react before the unseen jutsu hit him.

The four standing on the sidelines all blinked as the man fell to the ground, curling up into a fetal position as his good and broken hands clutched his head.

They were shocked when Ino spoke in a dispassionate voice- her eyes cold as ice shards.

"It'll take a long time to die, the mind is being sent over the edge, instead of using just my mind jutsu, I added my own medical touch to it; the blood from the stressed arteries will slowly erupt from the increased pressure in the brain. First sign is blood from the ears and nose."

They watched as the liquid began to leak out of his ear, visible trickle of dark blood. Ino continued softly, as if she were reading from a textbook.

"Next sign will be the convulsions as the mind enters sensory overload. I wonder what you're seeing, does it hurt? "

Her steps were soft, graceful even, as she circled him. Allowing them a glimpse of her face as her murmured; it wasn't blank or outraged anymore.

It sent shivers down the young kunoichi's spine as she stood between the sand brothers. Her eyes were soft, in a way chilling way. The siblings knew that look only too well.

There was a moment in every ninja's career when it takes too much. When a love one is killed before their eyes, when someone who was entrusted in their protective hands is taken and never returned. When all compassion is stolen from them and all is left is the metallic taste of desire to kill, and to enjoy it. A true killer.

Ino had seen it, but now she understood. She liked this death; she wanted it more than anything.

She paused and waited until the whimpering grew quiet and the shakes overtook the body before speaking again.

"And then you die, with every nerve on fire. Simply. Mind. Shattering."

She didn't bother to watch the final moments, feeling decidedly empty she turned away and began to head towards the small cave entrance in front of them.

Temari looked pale beneath her tan as she shared another glance with Kankuro; who was equally pale but a little more composed. The body behind the blonde was only twitching now; the sound of blood dripping onto the sand audible even from their distance. Matsuri was shivering, leaning towards Kankuro as if seeking warmth.

Gaara ignored the three by him and the corpse as his eyes stayed on the blonde. Her body was dirty and there were definitely going to be bruises, but what panged him the most was the small trembling of her lips as she walked away them. His hand was reaching out for her before he came back to the situation, letting his hand drop back to his side.

Seeing Kankuro open his mouth to speak, Gaara caught his eye with a violent gesture of his hand before turning back to see that Ino hadn't stopped walking.

"Go ahead, we'll follow."

He didn't wait to see their hesitating nods as he walked forward to follow her retreating back.

She didn't hear them as she continued towards the cave, her body weaving an unstable pattern.

He had tortured her.

The dead son of a bitch had stolen a little girl and had tortured her while trying to steal her family's secrets from her poor fragile body.

A body that was only too easy to imagine being broken.

How?

Why?

_I don't want to die Ino! I'm scared!_

Sparkling eyes that always reminded her of freshly bake chocolate chip, those eyes that would never ever shine again.

"Ino."

She didn't realize that she had stumbled into the dank cave wall until firm yet gentle hands were prying hers off of the sharp edges. Blood from her palms seeped between theirs are he kept a steady grip, leading her back towards the middle.

Ino couldn't meet his eyes, desperately pushing back from the entrance.

"No, I have to bring her back! I have to! I promised!"

Her movements grew frantic as his head shake reached her peripheral vision. Yanking with all the strength she didn't have left, Ino was deaf to the whimpers and sobs in her throat.

"Please..please..I promised….promised…. so ..dark…she was all alone.…"

Suddenly the world was crashing around her; the only thing that stopped her from falling head first to the floor was the strong arms that fiercely wrapped around her. The armor jabbed painfully into her shoulder but she didn't notice.

It didn't matter.

It didn't matter if she was thrown off a cliff, she deserved it. She wanted the punishment.

Anything, anything would be okay, just as long as it hurt.

"Ino…"

The blackness that had surrounded her was momentarily lifted, realizing that the terrifying noises that she had been subconsciously hearing for the past fifteen minutes were coming from her. Hysterical chest wracking sobs were shaking them both, scraping her knees and shins on the ground. When had they crumpled to the ground?

She couldn't remember how she had come curled up against Gaara's chest with her hands digging into his shoulders so hard that the material beneath her hands dangerously on the verge of ripping – his body surrounding her as if he was trying to protect her from the pain that was making her tremble and cry out loudly.

Ino couldn't see the torn expression on his face, the tightening of his eyes and mouth as he simply let her cling against him – soaking his clothes with tears, snot, and spittle. It was terrifying to hear a person fall apart - and it was worse since he didn't have a clue on how to stop it.

Words were never his forte, he would be the first to admit it, so he gave her the only thing he knew how to give.

Tightening his hold around her – pressing his lips down upon the top of her head – he rocked them back and forth.

The sounds of her heart breaking echoing throughout the cave like a funeral chorus.

…………………

………………………………………

* * *

A/N: That was a long chapter guys! Woo, and now that I've gotten it up….

I've always said I wasn't good at action scene.

Also, I am posting this at 2:30 AM..grammar mistakes are probably there.. I apologize.

Tell me what you think!


	21. Chapter 21

It was several hours later, well past the sun set and the moon was high in the star cut sky. Even now, the stars seemed to have a cast of red to them – as if they were relishing from a sacrifice.

Gaara entered the village with the barest of nods towards the guards – his grim expression and the burden in his arms enough to still the questions that were on the tip of their tongues.

Not Temari's though, the wind possessing kunoichi rushed forward as soon as he passed the entrance. Her garb the same mess as it had been when she had walked away from the eerie fight. It was odd, but as her wide teal eyes anxiously sought his out as she came to hover a foot away from him, it was the first time that his sister had looked so womanly.

"Gaara?"

For once it wasn't a questioning tone about, his well-being or sanity but towards the limp body that he cradled close to him.

Kankuro and Matsuri were quiet in their appearance, simply falling in a step behind him as they made their way towards the Kazekage tower. Their battle splattered appearances and the cold expression on their leaders face was enough to keep any person from coming forward to ask what happened. Halfway Baki grimly joined their march.

But the unconscious and battered form of the Konoha's ambassador was enough to send the spark of rumors throughout the village.

Tightening his hold on her, letting the threatening air around him expand until the few people that were out swallowed nervously and shifted back towards whatever they were doing.

Once having been a murderous terror did have its usage.

Reaching the doors of their residence, he didn't pause to allow Temari to open the door. Leaning back, he brought a leg up and viciously kicked open the doors; striding through them without a backward glance.

The secretary bolted up from her seat; rushing around the desk to hurry up to him.

"Kazekage! Is she injured? Shall I summon a medic?"

This caused a pause, and he turned to catch his sister's eyes. Her eyes searched his for answers, but nodded in response to the unspoken favor. Throwing out a hand to stop their sensei, she began speaking to the wide eyed woman in a low voice.

Kankuro crept up to his side. His paint smeared, and Gaara caught the shadow of blood on his chin and noticed his student's absence but didn't spare a longer thought as he murmured.

"I think it's better to take her to my room…"

As they reached the end of hall where his suite was, Kankuro picked up the pace to open the doors for him. Catching his eyes- the puppeteer simply shrugged.

"We can't afford anymore broken doors."

Ignoring him, he marched up to the unused bed that was situated in the corner room. Gently laying Ino down on the wrinkle free cream and crimson blankets – he turned away to unhook his gourd to put it in its customary corner before turning back.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he brushed the dirty hair away from her closed lids.

"Did she see?"

A damp cloth was held out by his face, and with a nod towards Kankuro he took it and began to softly wipe at the grime that was on her face.

"Stopped her before..I shouldn't have..but.."

The hand resting on the covers convulsed and sand across the room rattled in its case as the memory of the last few hours replayed in his mind.

"Gaara."

The firm hand on his shoulders had him forcibly relax again and he resumed his ministrations. He hated feeling helpless. Watching the strong woman lying in front of him and cry like she was being tortured been almost too much for him. Emotions were dangerously unknown to him in the sense that others didn't often give theirs to him.

Ino had, she was the first person since Naruto who had bluntly told him to quit living in the past and focus on the future. Who stood up to him, yet even when she was berating him she still defended him and comforted him in her odd insulting way.

Ino had become a friend since the day she had told him to stop being so sensitive about stuff, had become something much more than anyone else since the day she had touched his mark of being some monster and asked to kiss him –after feeling her shake from pain that he couldn't fix, Gaara wasn't sure he knew what he was doing anymore. Not that he had to begin with.

Feeling drained, he let his shoulders slump. Something he would only ever allow to happen in front of his siblings and now Ino. Though it didn't count for her right now as she was unconscious.

"I..don't know what to do for her."

Kankuro's eyes widened at the admission before narrowing with emotion unseen to the red head.

"Well, first you two need to leave so I can get her out of those clothes."

Temari's voice of reason had both guys jumping guiltily while turning to face where she was standing in the door with a bundle of what was presumed to be fresh clothes. She didn't let her expression show that she had witness the scene, and the lump in her throat was forcefully swallowed as she continued while walking towards the other side of the bed.

She saw the way her little brother's eyes narrowed at the thought of leaving the blonde's side, and though it was sweet to see him acting so possessive towards the girl, but it wasn't helping.

"Gaara, she's not going to want to wake up in all of this. Besides she'd probably kill us all if she found out that I let you two change her."

Kankuro grinned at that, stepping back from the two while wisely not saying anything. Gaara simply stared down at Ino – his hand setting the wash cloth down so he could rest it gently at the base of her throat. The pulse was weak but steady, sending relief through his spine until Temari quietly spoke to him.

"Gaara.. it's not going to be her body that will be damaged," when his bright eyes that always reminded her of the treasured sea glass she collected, looked up full of something close to desperation, she laid her hand on top of his, "this is why she didn't want to work with children. She knows she too tender hearted, and that she gets too attached. She probably is going to think it is all her fault."

His glared didn't affect her.

"I know, but what do I do?"

And that was why she had come to love her baby brother.

Smiling sadly at him, Temari stood up and began to separate the items in the bundle she had brought.

"I'm not sure, we'll just have to wait till the little flower wakes up and then we will see."

Placing the last item on the end of the bed, she turned and began to usher Kankuro out of the room. Getting him to the door, she turned to tell Gaara to leave when the sight she saw had her moving to block the view from her other sibling.

Suna's 'heartless beast' was leaning over Konoha's 'flower' brushing the hair back from her dirty forehead before placing a kiss on the smooth skin and a few whispered words.

When Gaara turned to leave the room, he paused at the tall kunoichi's averted head as he walked past. He couldn't tell but he was sure her cheeks her wet but before he could ask she was all but shoving them out with a rough.

"I'll come get you when I'm done."

She waited until she had the doors securely shut before bringing a hand up to wipe at the tears that were running down her face. Going towards the bed she leaned over to trace the pale face on the pillow before choking out a whisper.

"He was right."

…………………

Baki was a man of old tastes. He preferred the old rigid rules and training in the school of ninja; thinking that these new ways were too lax. His gender role views were, admittedly outdated, but such ways of thinking were hard to change when it's how he has been living for the majority of his life.

This was why he never fully understood Temari.

Wild and tenacious with a bite of soft steel; respect forged out of thinly sharpened blades disguised in a feminine weapon, he had always considered her more of a wild card than Gaara pre-Chuuin exams. Her moods had been far more vast and complex than the demon possessed child, at least he was always on the lookout for a kill, a general dangerous sulking brat. No change there, a good solid routine.

She was anything but routine; it had been tiring to train her.

This wasn't to say that Baki hadn't realized and learned that she was an irreplaceable asset to the team and village, though he secretly admits that he shouldn't have let his sexism blind him from such things for so long, it had just taken a while.

Still, old ways are almost impossible to fix but given time might be able to; Chiyo had proven that with her sacrifice. A feat he will always been grateful for and ashamed of.

The children of the sand had not been what he wanted, he hadn't asked to raise and train three snot ragged and highly dangerous brats. He had been just as, if not more, reluctant than them when they found out that they were going to be put together.

A good ninja doesn't show his emotions though, so Baki had sucked it up, dealt with having a rather pigheaded girl on his genin team, or having to watch his back against the smallest member just in case the child decided to reassure himself of his existence.

On the outside they had appeared to be the failures of that generation. Kankuro was the obvious loser of the trio, wanting to learn an art from that was in the decline, yet having a poor attitude about the career in general. Temari was a snubbed nose mini bitch who was just as determined to use a weapon that no respectable ninja would want to train with. And Gaara, well Gaara was so mentally unstable that Baki honestly cannot remember much of his training.

These were all the thoughts that haunted him now.

Watching as Kankuro made his way back from the Kazekage's room, heading towards the older man; Baki couldn't help but feel the familiar twinge of guilt and shame in his gut. He had judged those kids with superficial assumptions, and it was the biggest mistake he had ever made.

"Temari kicked us out so she could change her."

Ah, this was what was really eating him up.

Ino Yamanaka.

She had met them before, on much different circumstances, some that would have scarred any kind of cordial acquaintances, but not her. The bright blonde had simply walked into their village and embraced the three siblings as if they had never tried to invade her home village or had homicidal urges.

She unnerved him.

"Gaara should have taken her to the hospital."

He glanced at his side to catch the bemused gaze his oldest student threw at him before turning back to watch the corridor that the youngest sibling had taken.

"Ino really does bother you, and I get the feeling it's not because she has a vagina huh?"

Frowning at the language, Baki stilled for a moment while trying to decide what it was that bothered him. Next to him, use to the wait, the younger shinobi leaned against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest.

The question was a sound one because Baki really didn't know how the younger woman bothered him. It wasn't the same as with Temari and most of the other kunoichi in the village, it was more..personal.

It necessarily wasn't because of what she was doing, he was grateful to her presence being here and the improvements that it affecting. No, it had nothing to do with her being a kunoichi, or at least not all of it.

Carefully peeling back in his memories, Baki went through inventory that he had hoped he wouldn't even have to look at too closely.

"She accepted everyone much too easy."

Kankuro's smeared painted face was all surprise as he turned fully to him, before assuming an expression of calculation; as if his former pupil was trying to decipher a deeper meaning from him. It wasn't appealing to have the roles switched.

"Everyone as in …Gaara?"

He twitched his shoulders before straightening up and facing the ninja head on. It was unmanly to dance around a subject like this, and perhaps he needed to talk about it more than he had originally thought.

"Yes, she had seen him before and hadn't seen him after – hadn't witnessed his hard work…and yet she prances in here and suddenly Gaara can't even.."

He trailed off as the young man threw back his head and howled with laughter. Baki glared with promised violence until Kankuro quieted down, throwing the startled lobby woman an apologetic grin before turning back to give Baki a serious look that contradicted his past actions of a moment ago.

Baki almost thought he saw a bitter self mockery in it but didn't speak before Kankuro's voice came out low, his eyes now on the distant wall.

"There's no hiding with her, if you don't say it she already knows it or can guess it."

It was Baki's turn to stare now. That was it; Yamanaka bothered him because every time she was around, he was reminded on how he had shallowly judged three of the most important people to him now. How he had so closed mindedly shut them out when they had needed him the most, only to realize later how great they really were.

She reminded him of all of his regrets, and she didn't even need to say anything; it was the way she lived.

The Leaf ninja didn't feel fear towards Gaara, even though she had known his past, in fact there was obvious mutual attraction growing between them that set Baki's teeth on edge. She didn't judge carelessly on first impressive, but she observed. Hell, he knew she was watching everyone even when she was throwing random fits about aimless things, gauging people's responses. It was like, one glance from her cerulean eyes, and she knew exactly what a person's deepest thoughts were.

No ninja was use to such an exposed feelings. No ninja wanted someone to look at them and see the monster they had to be some times.

"Gaara would never be able to hide."

Startled again as Kankuro shrugged off the wall to swing around and face him, Baki took in the stiff set of his shoulders and the resigned look in his eyes. It was always a bit of a surprise to see the physical similarities between Kankuro and his tyrannical father, yet none of the similar personality traits.

He hesitated before deciding not to respond, letting the silence grow with unspoken questions and words that were gnawing at his gut. Yes, Gaara could never hide his past, and he deserved someone to see him as he should be seen.

The question was what was going to happen when she leaves?

……………

Temari wasn't a squeamish person; she didn't let things get to her that would send most people running from the uncomfortable implications of a situation.

This did not mean she didn't feel like an intruder as she slowly eased off the unconscious woman's clothes.

Being a kunoichi, Temari had been made well aware of certain missions that might be presented to her throughout her career as a deadly woman ninja. Fortunately it seemed like such missions were either extinct or the council simply didn't think she had the qualities of one that could easily seduce men without decapitating them first.

She didn't mind – mostly because it was true – she lacked the ability to manipulate the game of chase and catch with the opposite sex. The batting of the eye lashes, the false suggestions of innuendo that always seemed to send the smartest man floundering in his pants. She didn't have the patience, not the mind set.

This, of course, didn't mean Temari lacked sexuality because she definitely had that, even if she lacked the sex part.

Snorting at her thoughts, she gently lifted Ino up to remove the rest of the cropped top before setting her down. Ino had the perfect genetic make up for the game; she had the looks, the intelligence, but mostly the patience of a cunning fox waiting for her kill. The kind of set up that made ninja elders sit up and take attention to primp a seductive assassin. It was lucky in a way that the girl had only gone on one mission where it had led to the whole deal of rape and only then after the blonde had been bludgeoned.

It was just pathetic that being raped only once was seen as luck in their line of work.

The skin on her stomach was darker than of her chest, Temari grinned as she picked up the abandoned wet cloth to dab at the dirt that covered the hollow stomach. The contrast of skin tone wasn't much as if the girl had suddenly gained pigment so much as she was now a body of multi-tones of pale. This girl would always be a paste.

It wasn't so comical though, as she took notice of the forming bruises that were going to decorate her midsection in a few days. Catching her eye, Temari leaned closer to see that underneath the sickly yellow, there were a multitude of silver scars randomly places on the kunoichi's exposed skin. Reminders of battled fought and won. She had a few of her own.

Quickly removing the rest of the kunoichi's filthy clothes, Temari left her mind blank as she replaced them with the baggy pair of work out pants and sleeping shirt she had discovered in the girl's room. Her eyes didn't stray to the scars that layered her friend's inner thighs.

After tossing the remains of the dirty clothes into a corner, Gaara kept a clean room and she had accidently found that he didn't like laundry left out – something that her and Kankuro had taken turns annoying him with after they had grown closer, Temari dampened a fresh cloth and began to clean the cuts around Ino's palms and face.

They were small marks, as if the girl had brushed against jagged rocks or maybe even nail marks. Temari respectively cleaned away the debris out of the cuts before wiping away the dirt on her face, leaving no signs of the tear tracks that had been evident.

A small gift for what she had given to them since she had come to the village.

Ino was a person of…big personality, and at least Temari hadn't been too sure of her; this tall blonde who proclaimed constant diets and other such rubbish that Temari didn't bother with. Then the girl had started to shed her outer layers, the superficial ones that kept the rest of her protected in a world of harshness, and she had found that the lazy crybaby's teammate was a sharp funny ninja who had all the right morals in all the right places – even if she had goofy ways of showing them.

A female friend was something that was highly treasured in Temari's world.

Straightening up after efficiently laying a blanket over the girl, the long hair would have to wait for a real washing but Temari had cut the band that held it up in a tight ponytail. How the girl could even think with that much hair pulled back as tight as it was, she was shocked it hadn't blocked blood flow to the girl's brain – not that she wasn't sure it didn't.

She turned to the doorway where, without fail, Gaara appeared as if they were telepathically linked.

Taking in the appearance of her brother, Temari let her face show her disapproval. Not that he cared.

"Gaara, she isn't going to wake up anytime soon, at least go wash up or something."

His shadowed eyes didn't leave the place they had fallen to stare, somewhere between her and Ino on the bed, but she saw the twitch of finger and shifting of weight. It was a miracle to see that he reacted so far as he already has.

She understood, he needed something to do, something to keep his mind off of what might come when Ino wakes up. Temari just didn't know what to give him that would be useful. Casting a glance around, she sighed heavily before started towards the door.

"Gaara, I'm going to go talk to some people, please clean up and watch Ino for me. Thanks."

Then, without waiting for his response, Temari headed out to search for her brother.

…………………………………..

* * *

* * *

A/N: transition chapter, because I wanted to start a certain situation at the top of the next chapter and didn't really know how to get there. Snirk. Anyway, some of you might think this is overkill…but then this is INO we're talking about – and I had to get some explanations out of the way for future fun and games. Smirk.


	22. Chapter 22

It was cold, but warm, which confused her as she tried to struggle against the surge to the surface. Being intimate with the mind and how it worked, she wasn't surprised that she was in a stage of sleep awareness. Like when someone falls asleep and tries to wake up but being so warm makes it incredibly difficult to wake. So why was there cold in her equation?

Ino knew why she wanted to escape consciousness, she hadn't suffered from amnesia. If she opened her eyes, she would have to face reality again. Something she shuddered away from with sickness and guilt. If she didn't think, she wouldn't have to deal with it, and could welcome the silent peace of darkness.

Except something, no someone, was touching her face with a warm soothing hand. Ino instinctively moved towards it, leaning in as if knowing that the rest of what was attached to that hand could consume her with warmth until she burned. Funny, she hadn't ever felt that way before.

The face of a little girl flinted through, forever stuck in a grimace as her body rejected her.

Ino flinched, recoiling away from the image and the broken promise that came with it.

"Has she woken up?"

Murmuring voices breached her mental walls, and Ino tried to shy away. It was cowardly but she wasn't ready, she didn't want to go back to yet to face the consequences of her failure. The hurt was still raw, still bleeding.

More voices could be heard now and Ino fought to ignore them, to block them out as she clung to the last of her oblivion. Who was so rude as to speak when there was someone trying to stay unconscious? Bad manners.

"It's been days, she has to eventually."

A female tone entered the conversation, soft and quiet with steel. Ino knew that voice as well as she knew the others. She didn't want to listen though and resisted the urge to put her hands over her ears.

"Kankuro, her patient was a child and was kidnapped and tortured…..Ino doesn't _want_ to wake up."

She could feel herself shivering now, body curling in on itself in search of warmth that it couldn't provide. The murmuring stopped as she moved in what was she could guess was a bed, her body convulsing with the cold as she slipped underneath what was assumed to be a pile of blankets.

The hand followed her underneath the covers, resting on her forehead until her body slowed to a jerky stop. She could feel the tension in the tips of the fingers as they laid on the surface of her skin – conveying the restlessness that she herself felt inside – of not being able to do anything, of being useless.

How weird, telepathy through skin follicles perhaps? Creepy.

"Tio?"

As the voice of her pupil spoke, a detached part of Ino followed his words with her own conclusion of what was happening to her, approving in his accurate account. The rest of her tried to disappear, tried to focus on only the touch to her head.

"She's going through shock, and I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't' have some post-traumatic symptoms after she decides to wake up. It happens, but if she works through it, she'll be fine and she knows that too."

There was a pause, Ino could feel eyes on her huddled form, could feel the thoughts swirling around in their minds – some she could guess were of weakness of women - until Temari spoke again. There was a dangerous defensive lilt to her tone.

"Every ninja has their limits. Children are hers."

Ino felt her intestine twist with emotions and with a surge of charka that she knew the others would feel, she places her palms on either side of her head – she couldn't listen any longer, didn't want to. It was a bit difficult to do, but soon she found herself slipping away from the voices and back into the dark.

* * *

* * *

...............

He felt her body relax back into sleep before the other's figured out what had happened. The palm which he had slipped under the covers was loosely trapped underneath cheek and hair. Such vulnerability made him want to commit murder, anybody's, and his lash of intent flashed through the room. Baki and Kankuro simultaneously stood up; their hands ready to fly into seals to perform whatever jutsu would help stall him from whatever he was planning. As a Kazekage, it was pleasing to see such quick decision making. He wasn't feeling very Kazekage at the moment.

"Gaara."

Temari's voice was quiet as she spoke, she hadn't moved from her spot on the other side of the bed. Meeting her eyes, he saw shrewd calculations in their depths and sighed heavily before forcibly relaxing his shoulders, twisted his neck until there was a series of popping.

There might not be a tailed beast inside of him to host, but having had one attached to his soul for so long left its mark. Sometimes he still woke up with the urge to reach out and reconfirm his life.

"Let's go."

Looking up he saw Temari had gotten up to walk around the bed to stand in front of him with her hands on hips. Gaara let the small movement of Baki pulling Tio out of the way go.

"Where?"

Temari looked down at Gaara, her eyes taking in the sleepless strands of unruly russet hair, the pronounced darkened shadows around his eyes, and general atmosphere of something being caged and resisted clucking her tongue at him.

He had obviously been standing vigil by his bed after the day had ended.

At first they had thought that Ino was just sleeping the effects off; both from her jutsus and from the whole ordeal, but now two days later Temari was just getting plain annoyed. It wouldn't have mattered if the woman was back in her own village to wallow away in self-hate, but here she had a job and more importantly a greater affect on certain high ranking people.

Feeling her patience snap, Temari lifted a threatening finger at her brother before violently swinging her arm around until it was aimed at the door. His jade eyes sparked with caution but she ignored it in favor of stoking her own displeasure.

"You stink, majorly, go shower and for kami sake eat something. Take these people with you too; I'm sick of having all this testosterone in here. Go. Now."

Then she held her breathe as he stared at her with an unreadable expression on her face. It was stupid baiting him like this, even now after all that's happened, but she had to get him out the room and out of hearing distance before doing what she was going to go.

Kankuro came to her assistance, having probably assumed correctly that she had something planned and it involving the blonde. He headed towards the door with the two other following him as if they couldn't wait to leave the danger zone.

"Come on Gaara, she's right, you really do smell and as soon as Ino decides to grace us with her conscious self she'll be bitching about the funk stank growing in this room."

Temari nodded encouraging, feeling her agitation grow with the Konoha kunoichi when Gaara stood hesitating before leaving the room. She waited until the sound of a second door closing before taking a deep breath. Not fun, not fun at all.

Letting the cold leak any niceness out of her face, Temari turned to the bed with a grim look. She was going to be killed from doing this, either by Ino or Gaara, but, well, she just wasn't as sympathetic as them.

It was just how to do it that was the trick.

With a sudden thoughtful expression Temari wandered out of the room and headed towards the bathroom.

Yup, there it was the unused bucket that had held a rare basket of fruit. It had been a present to the Kazekage, but it turned out that Gaara and apples didn't agree very well with each other. He had kept the bucket though, even if it was a dull gray color, it held sentimental value to him. His first congratulation gift for becoming a man of worth.

Humming softly Temari cheerfully took the bucket by the handle and put it in the sink. She couldn't lie that a part of her, underneath the apprehensive one, was a bit too keen to get into trouble by doing this. Turning the water on to as cold as it could go, she tapped a tune out on the counter with her fingers – one ear trained towards the open doorway in case of an early return. She wouldn't want to be caught half way in the act, which would be definitely complicate things.

Really, she just wanted to snap Ino out of it before things deteriorated even more for Gaara. She knew it was unfaith towards the girl, but Temari wouldn't risk having Gaara lose all he had worked so hard for because of a girl. Even if she thought they were best suited for each other.

It had been obvious that the girl had used some chakra technique to knock herself out again, and Temari figured that meant that the usual shake or slap wouldn't make her budge. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Ino wasn't the only one who liked the flair of dramatic.

Turning off the tap, she easily lifted the gallon size bucket full of frigid ice water and carefully made her way back to the bed room.

Once next to the bed, she set the bucket down and quickly pulled back the covers revealing the huddled form underneath. Ino looked like she had lost twenty pounds, her hips startlingly sharp against the pale skin that showed from the rucked up shirt. The long powerful legs were brought up as close to the girl's chest as possible.

Her hair was beyond messy.

Temari sighed, knowing this was about to get loud and life-threatening, and picked up the bucket with one hand supporting the bottom.

Ino woke screaming.

The blonde was out of the bed before the last bit of water had the chance to partake in the fun. Drenched from the head to waist, she looked like a murderous swamp monster Temari remembered reading about as a child; lanky strands of hair plastered against her face as burning eyes stared around wildly- the normally beautiful blue gone dull surrounded by redness. Temari backed up quickly when she saw the hands twitched with intention.

"Oh no you don't Ino, I've seen your jutsus and I don't deserve that."

Ino blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. She could feel the water trail down her goose-bumps body and belatedly began to shiver when she glanced down to see that she was only wearing underwear and a shirt.

"I had to talk to you without Gaara around."

Looking up, Ino just stared at the other woman, her face went blank. When she spoke, she had to clear her throat several times before a raspy croak came out.

"You…woke me up?"

Watching Temari nod sharply once, Ino crumpled to the floor in a sudden movement. Her face scrunched up with the realization, but tears refused to fall. She wouldn't be allowed to grieve; she wouldn't let herself out of the punishment so easily.

When Temari spoke again it was more hesitant. Bet the cheeky girl hadn't expected such a broken doll, huh, well too bad for her. Ino refused to look up, staring instead at the palms of her hands that were carelessly in front of her. As if they had answers.

"Gaara went back and got her Ino…She's been properly buried."

A thin high wail escaped her throat before her hands were covering her face – nails digging deep in her hairline as she bent over until the back of her hands were roughly pushed onto the floor. She didn't want to hear about it. She hadn't even recovered the body; she had fallen apart and left her _again._

"She's been taken care of Ino, and I know you hurt but you need to get it together –"

Ino knew her friend was right; she was acting as far from a ninja as possible. That she should be able to uncurl herself and stand up, resuming her job with nothing shown in her face. She wasn't a genin anymore, this behavior was not acceptable.

But Temari's words had brought images. Glimpses of a broken body before hands prevented her from seeing more. A tiny hand with torn nails set on awkwardly angled fingers. The hand was such a delicate system of nerves, had Kyoko cried? Had that been when she started asking for Ino?

The shaking wasn't so much from the cold anymore, and Ino curled upwards to wrap her arms around her stomach. Her teeth were chattering so loudly that she could barely hear anything. She felt like she was going to be sick. A moan was growing low in her throat, and she turned to hide her head in the wall when footsteps were heard in the doorway.

No, she didn't want them to see. She didn't want to have act strong again. For a wild moment she wished for Shikamaru and Chouji to be there – they would have be okay with it, they would have taken care of her because they knew what to do for her to move on. Shikamaru probably would have grumbled and bitched, before picking her up and taking her back to bed where he would lay with her until she settled down. Chouji would have made something to eat for them all, and then gone into story telling mode to distract them all, a big comfort on her other side.

For if one failed in Team ten, they all failed.

Here with a land of strangers, she was alone in her failures and couldn't remember how to fix herself from being broken.

"Temari, what the _fuck_ did you do?"

He watched as the girl in question stared a bit wide eyed at the shaking form in the corner, as if she hadn't expected the reaction she had gotten. Kankuro swept a look around the room taking in the empty bucket besides the soaked bed, before unwillingly taking in the hunched back of Ino. Her back was towards them, her face hidden in her hands as they rested against the wall.

That's all he got to see before Gaara's smaller form shoved past him and headed over to stand protectively a few feet in front of the woman. His eyes were blank with fury that went beyond cold, and when they landed on Temari, Kankuro saw her visibly flinch before pulling herself together. She did kind of deserve it, but the older two had banded together too long for him to abandon her now.

"Gaara, she needed it."

Oh sister, he thought miserably when the red head stilled, this could have been done a lot differently. He did understand why she had done it in such a drastic way though; Ino needed something out of the norm to get her up for more than two minutes.

Luckily Baki and Tio had remained behind when they heard the chilling scream. Luck or smart he wasn't sure, but Gaara had disappeared with speed when the sound reached them where he had taken a shower in an unused room. Kankuro had reluctantly followed; these kinds of semantics were a bit beyond his expertise.

Ninja who had fallen made him uncomfortable and seeing such a strong headed woman such as Ino Yamanaka frail and broken shivering in a corner was a low as they could get.

It didn't suit her, and he didn't want to see any more of it. It felt almost as if he was intruding on something very intimate. Time to cut Gaara loose and grab Temari and run.

Stepping forward he hastily grabbed her stone shocked arm and jerked her rudely towards the door just as Gaara spoke in a low rumble.

"Go."

No need to tell him twice. They fled.

* * *

* * *

.............

She wasn't sure how long he stood there, but it was long after the muscles in her back began to ache from the prolong position. Ino didn't like how she could feel that intense green stare on her, knowing how pathetic and weak she appeared.

"Go away Gaara."

She had expected him, unsure creature of emotion that he was, to listen to her and leave. Had been depending on that insecurity of his to give her more time. More time to let herself sink into an awaken state of misery, which wasn't much better than her unawake state.

"No."

Frowning, she let her hands slide down her face so she could meet his glare with one of her own. It irked her how his arms were crossed as if she were being a disobedient child.

"Yes."

Okay, so that wasn't very mature, but her chest was growing tight with hot resentment; thoughts that she would normally never have thought seeping into her mind as if she had been poisoned. He was the one who had made her work with sick dying children. He had made an impossible promise to a child.

"No."

Snarling she slowly uncoiled her back as she stood. The pleasure of getting out of the position was lost on Ino as she scowled at the irritating red head. Pain was being replaced with an overwhelming anger. Who was he to tell her what to do? He wasn't her Hokage, hell he wasn't even her boyfriend!

Her hands shook with the rush of adrenaline that surfaced with the rage.

"Go away Gaara! Just go away!"

Too bad she couldn't really formulate any grander words of reproach than that of a six year old.

His eyes had lost their blank look, letting an emotion that fueled her anger; understanding. What does he understand? Nothing! He hadn't even trusted her to get the mission done, he had to go and show up on her rescue mission as if she was incapable!

"No Ino, I'm not leaving."

When she took a quick step forward his arms came uncrossed – giving her an intense feeling of satisfaction. If she had been capable of processing thoughts normally, Ino would have realized what a bad idea it was to attack the Kazekage of a village she was being lent too. That it was ridiculous to put all the blame on him for something neither of them could really do to prevent.

Too bad she wasn't feeling particularly stable.

All Ino wanted was violence and punishment. She wanted someone to abuse her with the truth of her failings. Someone had died because of her incompetence, and Ino deserved nothing less than the worse.

So, silent as a predator, Ino rushed one of the most feared shinobi of their generation. It was her full intent that he was going to have to crush her with his sand before she would stop. Her hand was straight and firm as she threw the first jab.

He was behind her, but she had predicted it and swung a leg out to sweep his legs out.

Gaara was gone before she got the chance.

It continued in this same pattern for several more minutes, Ino becoming more and more desperate in her attacks as he simply dodged. Her moves going from graceful and articulate to stumbling and wildly reacting.

"Fight me!"

Her scream of anger came out more of a wail, and Ino cringed. She was panting heavily in the middle of the room, where the bed had been before she had kicked it at Gaara in effort to catch him off guard.

He was standing next to it, his arms casual at his sides as he watched her quietly. As if he was waiting for something.

It pissed her off to high hell.

Picking up the bedside table, she flung it at him with blinding speed.

"Fight me! Fight me! Dammit!"

There was a stitch in her chest, and Ino clutched at it while trying to catch her breath in the rising hysteria. Tears pricked at her eyes, causing her to blink rapidly while looking away. A dumb move if this had been a real fight but she didn't care, just angrily wiped at her still dry face.

"Why won't you fight me..I deserve it.."

Then he was there, in front of her, an undecipherable expression on his face before. Ino wetly blinked at him.

"I'm not going to fight you."

With a sound that was caught between a sob and wail, Ino hit him in the chest with all of her strength. He took a bracing step back but otherwise didn't move. She hit him again, feeling shame and anger pulsing hot through her chest and face.

"Hit me! Hit me! I killed her, god I killed her!"

She was pounding him now, eyes tight against the sight in front of her, all the pain and hurt washing anew through her. So much had happened since she had been abruptly woken up, and sleeping for a couple days without nourishment had left her weak and shaky.

"Ino.."

His arms came around to support her when she collapsed against his chest. There were no murmurs of forgiveness or of hate. He was as silent now as he was when she had relentlessly beaten him with her fist, when she had shouted, when she had thrown furniture. The hold he had on her was tight as she sagged in sudden defeat. The only acknowledgement that he gave her at all was the small brush of his lips across her sweaty forehead – a benediction.

It wasn't his fault, it wasn't hers either. She hadn't been a failure, even if she would always feel as if she was. Ino could not control everything, and neither could Gaara.

All that was left was a promise that would never be fulfilled and a ward full of more ill children who might benefit from her skills.

Then, Ino cried.

* * *

* * *

.............

When she woke up again, she was dry this time.

The room was dark this time, leaving her eyes to adjust as she blinked up at the ceiling. There was a slight disorientation of being in a familiar bed that wasn't in a familiar place, but when she tilted her head on the mattress Ino realized that the bed was still against the wall where she had kicked it earlier.

Heat crept up her cheeks before rapidly fading.

The bed was stripped bare except for the single blanket that was covering her – them. More awake now, Ino recognized the warm body behind her. There was space between them, but she had always complained that Gaara was like a heater.

He probably knew she was awake, but Ino didn't want to break the moment. She needed a little time to sort out what had happened. There was still a dull piercing ache, that was going to be around for awhile but now that she had gotten most of it off of her chest in her impromptu fight Ino was sure she would be able to cover it up.

Funny, she had thought only Shikamaru and Chouji were the ones who could help her.

Gaara hadn't been very kind or sweet, he hadn't even made her food; yet he had accomplished what they usually did and in much less time. He had known that she couldn't keep it all bottled up, and so…

Stunned, she quickly rolled over to find Gaara sitting up, his dark eyes watching her with an unreadable look.

"_Did you pick a fight with me?" _

His slow grin was answer enough. Staring up at him, Ino hesitated. This was the first real smile he had given her, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to tease him or savor the rarity. With the recent events heavy on her conscious Ino reached up to touch the side of his face with a brush of finger tips before laying her head back down. Her voice was full of grudging admiration.

"Manipulative bastard. I won't forget this."

When his low chuckle reached her ears, Ino turned away in a huff. She fully intended to pout and sulk when a realization had her bolting upwards with the blanket pulled against her chest as she shouted in a scandalous whisper.

"_Gaara did you change my shirt?"  
_

This time the heat in her face didn't fade away at his stared at her for a long time before shrugging. Her eye twitched at the oh-so-casual movement.

"It was wet so I changed it for you."

Mouth agape, Ino paused in her furious response to contemplate him with a meditative look on her face. When he caught her expression he sharply frowned at her. She tried to smile but stopped with an inward jolt. This was the first time she had laid in bed with a boy, while wearing only an unknown shirt and panties that have seen better days. They weren't even the cute kind.

Still, he was even more inexperienced than she was, and morbid curiosity had her asking. She wasn't all that terrified that he wouldn't like what he saw; in that one aspect Ino was pretty confident. Va-va-voom curves had their advantages.

"…did you take a good look?"

If it had been on a better day, at a better time, Ino might have collapsed in a fit of laughter at the sight of his bemused face. The little lech wasn't even going to deny it, but was thinking of trying how to say yes in the right way. She watched slightly opened mouth as his stare faltered before turning completely away to stare across the room at the window single.

Clutching the blanket tighter to her, Ino lay back down and rolled away so he couldn't see her face. It might not have been a grin, but it was close.

"Stupid Reptile."

When she awoke again later, Ino was surprised to find herself shivering with warm tears trailing down her face like a steady river. The nightmare she had fading away slowly as she completely dropped away the grogginess.

Twisted around in the cocoon of blanket, Ino turned to find Gaara in the same position he had been earlier except his eyes were closed now, as if he was simply dozing.

They opened at her movement, and Ino hadn't bothered wiping her face.

"Gaara, I'm cold."

He stared down at her as she whispered, and she was struck by the feeling that he was much older than her in some ways despite them being only a few years apart in actual age. She shifted and rotated until one side of the blanket was free, which she held up in invitation.

Ino sighed with weary content when he moved down to rolled under the covers, casually picking her up so that he could put one arm underneath her before settling the other across her waist. She tucked her head into the crook of his shoulder and sighed again, the edge of sleep already creeping back up on her.

This time, Ino slept dreamless.

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……………

A/N: They are such a volatile couple are they not? I love it. Muhahaha. It's funny how intimate they are without actually being…_intimate_ (waggles eyebrows suggestively). Okay enough goofin' – hope you enjoyed it, I got it out a lot earlier than anticipated, and we all love when that happens – Chao!


	23. Chapter 23

"Kazekage?"

Matsuri waited without any heat, leaning comfortable against the back of the chair that was in front of his desk, as the man in question finished up whatever he was writing on a scroll.

She knew from experience, mostly trial and error, that Gaara didn't generally ignore people who came to his office but wouldn't be pushed to rush his own work. He was quite fastidious that way, and the thought make her lips quirk up in affection.

When he sighed, as he laid aside the brush, her smile disappeared.

She had purposefully made herself scarce when the direction in which Gaara was toting the Leaf kunoichi became obvious. Matsuri had no desire to see her idol and hero turn into a sad sap just because Yamanaka was around. It disgusted and irritated her.

Shit happens in their world all the time; if the blonde bitch couldn't handle it then she should quit and find something else to do.

It shamed her to think such uncharitable things, she usually was much more understanding; but watching Gaara sit back in his seat with a even more drawn face made her super crabby.

Leaping over to fall into the chair's seat, Matsuri sighed with a deep breath before looking up to catch his eye.

"Kazekage, you can no bear her ill will."

She sadly watched his eyes tighten before smoothing out into perfect blandness. He was so good at that, making himself seem impenetrable that sometimes Matsuri found herself thinking that he really way.

"There is no ill will, despite…her actions."

His mouth twisted at the end and then she knew that there was to be no further discussion of the matter. Not willing to completely drop the subject, she leaned back and glared at the desk while grumbling.

"Well, next time make sure she leaves with proper attire on, Baki nearly took my head off for it and I wasn't even in the same part of town."

It was easy to let that slip out, knowing that her leader wouldn't pry unless he was absolutely concerned, and Gaara knew better than anybody how well she could care for herself; he had trained her. That knowledge alone seemed to have put fear in some of the newer shinobi.

At the mention of how Yamanaka how exited his bedroom a few days ago brightened the green in his eyes for a few seconds before it faded out. When he met her eyes, Matsuri sigh deeper with feeling of exhaustion.

"Is it around the whole village?"

Her grimace could have been answer enough but she spoke in the high gossip tone that most of the elderly used.

"The _ambassador _of _Konoha_, walked out of the _Kazekage's bedroom?!_ With nothing on but a shirt?!" She dropped the impersonation to give him an amused look. "It's been top charts since the day it happened. "

He sighed, before bringing up hands to briskly rub his face. That's all he needed, was more gossip about them. It was enough that they haven't spoken since, but now he had all the old ninny's hot on the topic.

Sometimes he wished he didn't have to think.

"I think it's worse because of the obvious rejections you've received when stopping by the apartment she's been staying in."

Looking up he saw the dislike in Matsuri's eyes, but didn't say anything to dissuade her from it. It was not his place, despite what others think, to dictate who likes who and for whatever reasons. Her rather large brown eyes stayed at him without a care, letting him see her exact thoughts.

And what could he say? Ino had been avoiding him for the last few days, not answering the door or his summons – a ballsy move that was. It wasn't with an atmosphere of 'I never want to see you again' or at least he thought so, and gods only know how wrong he could be, but it seemed like the Konoha girl was trying to get back on her feet.

Gaara was not going to stand in her way, yet, but the Kazekage hadn't become Kazekage by being ignored.

He wasn't stupid, he would let her do as she pleased for a while and then they would talk. That's how it's always been with them, Ino danced around and he would simply wait until she was ready to talk.

Apparently that time though, was going to be shortened, because it the rumors got outside of the village –which he assume wouldn't be too long from now- there was going to be a seriously pissed off woman on his neck and Gaara wasn't sure he was up to par with the Hokage. That woman was frightening.

"She needs time Matsuri."

When the girl didn't look convinced Gaara pushed aside his paperwork and focused entirely on his former student. She saw the action and tensed, probably realizing she now had all of his attention instead of some.

Admittedly, he did like to mess with her a bit, it was one of those odd quirks of their relationship that had developed when they had both been testing each other. He had been working to become more human and she had been working to become less, an interesting turn-about.

"If she can't handle death, then how has she survived so long?"

He took his time answering, Gaara always did.

Kankuro had once told him it was annoying and made him seem old but he just didn't want to be misunderstood. He wanted his meaning to be clear so that others wouldn't get the wrong idea. He had misunderstood once, and could never regain back what he had lost from it. This he did not want to happen to others.

Gaara distinctly remembered the expression on his brother's face after he had explained that to him, and since then the other shinobi had never made another comment.

"You once thought that a weapon could only be used to kill."

Her brow scrunched down in confusion.

"Yet, you eventually learned that ninja use their weapons, not to kill, but to protect those that are precious to them. This is why we exist, yet most seem to forget that it is not death but life that is the objective of our missions."

When he didn't continue, the brunette shook her head before leaning forward towards the desk. His eyes watched her like a predator.

"But, what does that have to do with anything?"

Matsuri withheld the flinch when Gaara stood up and walked around the desk, even though he had done nothing out of the ordinary; it just felt as if he was disappointed. He paused by her chair briefly before continuing past her towards the door.

She bit her lip and tried not to take it too hard.

"Matsuri, come."

Surprised, she jumped up and hurried around to meet him in the doorway. So he wasn't leaving because he was disappointed?

"Where are we going Kazekage?"

Watching as he nodded absently to his guards, she brushed a hand over her face as if she could hide her embarrassment that she still needed lessons from her old teacher. Not that Gaara was old.

He didn't bother answering.

…………………………….

…………………….

………….

"You look like crap."

The smile on her face struggled to stay sweet and kind, a downhill battle as she stood at the foot of the bed staring down at its occupant. The kid was staring up at her with blue shadowed eyes, as if he had been punched – which Ino didn't doubt he would have deserved.

Little shit.

"Thanks, you look just splendid though."

He raised his hand to rudely gesture at her sarcasm, and Ino – not having heard the doors open behind her- responded by throwing the clipboard in her arms at him. It narrowly missed his head.

He grinned, and she felt her freeze at the trust in it before smiling back and walking over to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Well, how're you doing? Has baby Karen been by lately?"

Dark green eyes gazed at her sadly before looking away. She waited patiently, knowing he'd speak up about what's bothering him when he wanted. It wasn't long.

"They told us..about..Kyoko."

She had been prepared for this, so when he looked back at her with the same kind of wild hope she had had when she was younger, Ino tried not to turn away. These kids, shuttered in ignorance by those who think it was for the best, had no way of growing up when they were so sheltered.

An image of Sakura, seven years old with a naively sweet grin on her round face, flashed through her mind followed by an older version of the strawberry haired girl, her mature face scrunched up in an inner battle between hope and pain.

Letting a sigh escaped between her lips, Ino shook her head slowly.

"'Ashi, she's gone."

The small hand that laid inert above the bed sheets curled into a tight fist as he closed his eyes and abruptly turned his head away; a gesture that shouldn't have been done by a kid too young to have gone through puberty. It was mature beyond his years and that broke another piece off of her chipped heart.

Ino slid off the bed, letting her head fall forward until it was inches from the fist, her own hands tightening on the boring clothe.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I failed."

It was a fervent whisper, something that most doctors would never have shown their clients, especially those small enough to kick their legs under the dinner table, but Ino was never anything conventional and she knew just how much of an impact missing words could be.

She was sorry, but tried as she might she couldn't promise anything else because ninja never knew what the future would bring except the certainty of eventual death.

When the small hand rested upon the top of her bowed head, Ino didn't move except to reach out a hand and lightly wrap it around the fragile wrist.

"Next time, next time I will be strong enough."

Looking up, for a moment Ino could almost see the adult he would become; the panes in his face sharpening into determination, the piercing eyes looking straight ahead – never to back down. She nodded when he glanced at her before standing up. She was getting old, her knees ached.

"You will be."

The voice came from behind her shoulder, and Ino wasn't surprised to see the Kazekage standing there with a rather chagrin looking Matsuri next to him. The younger girl wasn't meeting her eyes, but Ino let that slide for now. Her own gaze was steady on the man next to the kunoichi.

They didn't speak for what seemed like minutes, and she was sure there were tumbleweeds lazily bouncing around in the background as their eyes bore into the others. The theme song from some western land music rolled through her head as his darkened eyes beckoned an answer from her own.

Ino know it hadn't been fair to have ditched like she had, even borderline immature; but she had a major reality check when she had woken up out of a sleep daze to find that she had plastered herself against Gaara's body. Not only was it odd that she was only in a shirt, which wasn't her own, but also his normally statue –like body was accommodating her clinginess. An arm pillowed her head while the other firmly clasp over her waist, not that she had been fighting to get away – not from how she had opened her eyes to see the pasty pale skin of his shoulder and neck right in front of her. Long uncovered, and ghastly unshaved legs, had been wrapped around him like a flipping octopus. The shirt he had on was ruined beyond repair from her fingers digging into it, a lifeline that she had reached for in sleep.

Mortified at such a display of neediness, Ino had taken one look at his curiously blank yet softened look and bolted – lack of pants unnoticed.

Really, she hadn't expected to _meet_ people in the hallway, or having known she was going to trip flat on her face – leaving other exposed assets to the shocked observers. Hey, Ino had limits to propriety too. Or well, she at least had some common sense to fear what would happen if Tsunade found out.

"Ino."

Breaking the stare, which had been an unsuccessful attempt of Ino throwing mental assurances at him, she turned back to meet the young boy's steady gaze. She frowned in suspicion.

"I know that creepy Suna stare, don't you people know how to blink? It's a wonder your eyes haven't all dried up yet."

No one was having it though, and Ino sighed before bending down to hear him out.

"I'm sorry."

Looking down, she knew he was speaking about Kyoko's death. Letting a cheesy half-grin contort her face, Ino roughly patted his head before turning to leave the ward – waving at the others as she walked by their beds.

"Yamanaka."

Pausing by the door, Ino shifted an eye over her shoulder to see that Matsuri was looking at her. The slanted eyes shone with an emotion that was difficult to deduct what the reason was behind it, but she didn't think she would really appreciate the reason anyway; no doubt it had something to do with the guy next to the brunette.

She was growing tired of theatrics and subterfuge, not for the first time Ino felt the pull of wanting familiar faces. Home.

Instead of doing something outrageous, which was probably expected, Ino crinkled her eyes in a smile and nodded at the both of them before pushing open the doors.

"It was nice of you guys to come down here, the children always like visitors."

Thoughtlessly returning the nod at the guards that watched her out in the hall, Ino moved away from the ward and towards the stairs that would lead her to the emergency care unit. There, she would lose herself in blood and illness. There, she wouldn't have any extra time to think about feelings and Kazekages.

There, she could heal the pain.

…………………

…………..

……

The training area was nothing like Konoha's; it lacked green. There wasn't any luscious foliage to hide in, no trees to deep inhale their reassuringly sharp scents. Large vein leafs didn't blot out the sky, cool crisp lakes and rivers weren't around to swim in the summer heat.

Heat, well, Suna definitely had that, and astoundingly cold too. The sky wasn't hindered by beautiful plant life, it was went on and on in fearful infinity. Nothing stopped it from being overwhelming except the overwhelmingly empty landscape beneath it.

The sand dunes went on just as long, stretching across the horizon line, as if the two in a constant battle. It was vast, and lacked the animal life that made up the comforting sounds of Konoha. Suna only had reptiles and vultures as far as she has seen so far.

That was the problem with the place, everything was in the extremes. A happy middle ground was absent in this part of the land. Ino felt stifled and yet, it called to her in the unlikely form of the biggest contradiction the village had.

Stupid red heads and their coolness.

Training did not incorporate hiding as a plan of action because shinobi of the sand shouldn't have to hide – they should have the power to overpower. This was the reason behind the large empty stadium like area, a round circle that contains nothing except a few random boulders and poles. It had high walls surrounding the area, which was why Ino had retreated to hide there after her last patient of the day.

She knew if she went back to her apartment there would be, no doubt, someone waiting for her. Either to take her to dinner or to force her to talk about things she wasn't ready to talk about. Neither sounded appealing, so she went in search of a place to sulk and think in peace.

In the fading sunlight, the far wall had stretching shadows across the compacted dirt, giving a cool place for her to hunker down on her butt to do some serious contemplation. This meant that Ino had to call upon a lot of engraved meditation techniques her father had grilled into her, relaxing the constant stream of thoughts to slowly sputter out before being replaced with clarity of mind.

It was a bitch to do, but the results were usually worth it.

One was where she had been instructed to ease every thought out of her consciousness except for a chosen color, and it always had to be the same color or else that debate would bring up new intruding thoughts. Ino remember being eight, forced into a cross legged pose across from her cut figure Dad, trying to be a good pupil. His eyes had gazed at her scrawny self in blank thought when she had responded to his question of what color she had chosen.

Black just seemed to be the natural choice for her, and Ino never really had stopped to think about it until years later when she had hazard to ask him what the color of his choosing had been; blue. He said it was like the color of the sky on a cloudless day, where it would tempt you to want to lay out on soft grass and lose yourself in its utter vastness.

Ino had cynically thought that such an answer was more fitting for Shikamaru and not her hard working Dad, but had only nodded in return.

Focusing now on filling her mind's eye with nothing but pitch dark, she kept waited until her entire system began to slow down in time with her deep even breathing before opening her eyes to stare unseeing ahead of her.

It was obvious that Ino had not fallen in love with Suna. The land was beyond her grasp of happiness, harsh reality laid too heavily upon its people – and the food was generally a bit disgusting. The air was starved for water as much as the sky was starved for clouds. The ground was unrelenting towards crops, there would never been trees here.

These things led to some of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen; sunsets and sunrises being the top most.

In all of these things, she knew she could never live happily here, this was not home, and there was no family here. Her roots were deep and Ino had no urge to rip them up. Still and this was the clutch of the entire issue, she was going to leave here someday and that thought made her lungs seize in a silent fear.

For, while she had not fallen in love with Suna, she _had_ fallen in love with its leader.

_Gaara_, his name brought on an annoyingly large onslaught of emotions. She had resisted it, knowing full well that nothing permanent could come of her growing close to him, and to be honest she wasn't quite sure how it had happened anyway; but it had, and now she was stuck in this purgatory of hell.

Just being around him was a distraction, part of her wanted to poke and prod until his mask broke, part of her wanted to latch on and never let go, and part of her wanted to smack herself for the other two parts.

Really, he made her become quite a female and that just wouldn't do now would it.

Oh, her eyes closed in pain, but she wanted to be female around him. She wanted him; more than she ever wanted anyone, or chocolate, and the pull was causing her to drown in a flood of restlessness. Ino knew they would have to part eventually, because in the end it was a decision between him and Konoha. While he had, somehow the sneaky bastard, gotten her heart, Konoha contain her entire being, life, soul. She really rather not be parted from either, but..

"Dammit."

What was she going to do?

……………………..

…………

…..

It was late when Ino had made her way back to her rooms, shoulders sagging wearily. Shrugging herself through the door, she had just clicked it shut when the other presence in her room made itself known with the unveiling of his chakra signature.

She didn't bother hiding her groan.

"Where have you been?"

His whisper was like a caress of rocks, gravelly and tearing her apart, but Ino didn't want to delve on the reason why for the latter. Instead she trudged over to her bed to collapse on with a soft moan of pleasure as her body relaxed into the mattress.

"Training area."

She knew he would see that she hadn't been training; her body didn't bore the signs of any kind of workout – lacking sweat or grime. He didn't ask though, simply strolled over from where he had been leaning against her dresser. Ino's eyes drooped a fraction when Gaara reached out to begin the process of removing her shoes, his own heavy lids not moving from hers.

That was such an unnerving trait; she didn't dare look away in fear that the gesture would give away her thoughts.

The sight of him, armor and gourd resting in the corner, casually clothed and seemingly relaxed made her diaphragm seize in fear. Was she really going to just walk away from this? From him? Would he understand or would he forget her?

Ino hated being forgotten.

Impulsively she sat up and reached out to grab the collar of his shirt. This man, so scarred and broken, was the one she decided she wanted to be committed to for the rest of her probably short life. Despite this, they were going to be separated.

Her lips crashed against his with a fierceness that caught them both off guard.

The sound of her scandal falling from his hand to the floor was lost on both of them as Gaara instinctively responded to the urgency in the kiss before another instinct had him pulling back to straighten up from his stooped position.

Ino followed him, her hands leaving the clench material of his shirt to wrap around his neck. With her lips, she begged for him to give her the assurance she needed but didn't know how to ask for.

Hands gripped the upper swells of her arms before Ino was forcibly pushed back a few inches from his face. She stared at him, seeing the questions running through his mind, and broke his hold to abruptly turn away.

"Sorry."

Broodingly staring at the bed, Ino was sure she had just met the densest male in the world. What guy didn't take the chance when it was thrown at him?!

One who considered such things as impossible, or worse, precious.

Digging the heels of her hands in her eyes, Ino tried to bring back some of the calm that she had momentarily achieved outside, but found that his body closing in on her back was too much of a distraction. When his finger hesitantly traced her shoulder blade through her clothes, Ino sighed heavily.

"You are damaging my Zen."

His low chuckle was a warm breeze on her neck, she fought the urge to untie her hair to get better protection to the vulnerable spot.

"Welcome to my world. Turn around and tell me Ino."

It was the use of her name, and definitely _not_the command in his tone, that had Ino turning around to face him again. It was dark, and neither had turned on any lighting, yet she absently thought he looked the best in the dark. It made his bright coloring go black, except for his sparking eyes, which stared at her with a look of hunger forced into calm.

She knew the feeling and didn't feel the least bit sympathetic towards him. Served him right, stupid jerk.

Opening her mouth to speak, Ino found herself at a loss for words. How was one suppose to explain that while they both knew she would eventually leave, probably soon with her interference in the training of medics, that she hadn't realized that she was going to fall in love with him. How did you explain that you had chosen your life over your heart?

How, melodramatic.

It was only when he began to speak in a low voice did Ino realize just how long she had spent staring up at him with a torn expression.

"We're different."

Her brow quirked but she refrained as he continued.

"Things happen for a reason."

This time she felt her left eye twitch, but again she held her tongue.

"It'll be okay."

With this, half of her face spasmed before Ino wrenched herself away from him. Standing several feet away, enough space that would make her think twice before attacking, Ino snarled at his composed face – an arm swinging out in wild gesture.

Well, if he was going to be so damn calm about it, then she'll be as dramatic as she pleases! Stupid sand boy!

"Don't you dare use lame ass cliché reassurances on me Gaara!"

His shrugged seemed suspiciously sheepish, and her eyes narrowed dangerously when the thought hit her; he had just been egging her into talking!

Her hands twitched and Gaara flickered a gaze around her to take in what was the closet furniture she would throw at him. When his eyes made their way to her face again, the anger had left her in place of a calculating expression.

"You do realize that I will be leaving Suna soon?"

She watched as he frowned at her, conveying Ino to make her point.

"Gaara, this," here she waved a hand indicating the space between them, "won't get better, it'll get worse. We have different loyalties, different lives."

She faltered at her own words but was surprised when Gaara shrugged again, didn't he care? She tried not to let herself feel hurt. If he wasn't playing around, then she could always punch the Kazekage –being a bad idea notwithstanding.

"You're mine."

His words had her jaw drop in shock before snapping shut in fresh irritation.

"What the hell? Have you been listening at all? We can't be together, we'll never see each other, and we'll never do anything normal like date or whatever. We'll never –"

The abrupt movement that found him standing right in front of her almost had Ino biting her tongue. It reminded her of the times when Asuma, her dad, or the Hokage would magically appear like that; usually when she did something to piss them off.

Ino didn't dare give him the satisfaction of taking a step back, instead she stepped closer, crowding him as he was crowding her. Two could play the physical intimidation game, and it didn't matter if he was use to using his for fear or her using hers for sexual awareness. Both were scary as hell, and neither seemed to be having the appropriate effect on the either.

Ino tried to subtly take shallow breathes; if she took anything deeper their chest would brush.

She was a bit astonished to find that Gaara's gravelly voice could drop to lower octaves when the occasion called for it. Its timbre sent a shiver down her spine.

Ino scowled.

"That does not matter."

His expression didn't change from its intensity when her upper lip curled with disdain. Tilting her head so she could fully meet his bright eyes, Ino didn't realize how her own were flashing in the dark – like burning sapphires.

"Do you really think it's that simple? Do you really think you can go months, maybe years before seeing me again?"

Anger all but melted completely away, Ino had brought her hand up to rest it lightly against his cheek – her fingertips touching the edge of his tattoo. He didn't move but she felt him tense, as if expecting a blow. She swallowed.

It silent now that she had stopped speaking. Their mingling breath loud in her ears, but Ino couldn't find anything else to say. What was to say?

"Coward."

Gaara watched as the bowed head shot up at his voice. With grim satisfaction at the sight those wide sparking eyes glaring, he didn't flinch when the nails of the fingers that were resting on his scar dug lightly into his face. Volatile woman, but he found that if she had acted like a normal then he would have been more concerned.

It was amazing how she could not move a single inch and yet suddenly appear to be much closer than before, a trick that he was familiar with himself. The beautiful face was all but shoved in his, a grimace away from snarling.

"What did you say?"

Gaara had never thought such an ugly expression and evil voice could be so attractive.

"Sounds like excuses."

Ino growled deep in her throat, all but ripping her hand away from his face before roughly pushing him back. Gaara barely stumbled, looking for the entire world as if he had decided to take a step back on his own accord. She pushed him again for good measure.

She _was_ a coward.

She was scared of children, of her friends, and family. Ino was terrified of the man standing in front of her. It was natural to be afraid of the things that a person can lose.

This did _not _mean that Ino liked or allowed people to call her out on it.

"Excuses? You stupid jerk; do you think whatever infatuation this is will last a day when we aren't in the same vicinity? Get real; this isn't some stupid fantasy Gaara."

In retrospect, Ino should have put some distance between them before saying anything as stupid as that. The bed was usually a soft mattress of escape, but being body slammed into it was anything but soft. She swore she felt her spine creaked under the sudden pressure of both Gaara and her weight.

The bed's leg neatly buckled, sending them to the floor with a muffled crash.

The fist next to her face was a bit of overkill, and Ino glared with reproach when she had caught her breath back.

"Dammit Gaara! That hurt! Fatty!"

His expression of intense blandness was gone, and Ino wasn't quite sure what she was looking into. Angling an arm between their middles to allow more oxygen was the only move she made before waiting for whatever he was going to dish.

In the back of her mind, Ino wasn't sure the relationship was healthy anyway; seriously they were becoming quite unpredictable.

"Infatuation? Don't fuck around."

She blinked in surprise at such language but wisely remained silent. His hands were gripping her shoulders hard, surely leaving bruises, as her own stayed huddled between them. Her back hurt, Ino hope he hadn't messed anything up – Sakura's back adjustments were torture themselves.

"It'll work, and you know that, so why are you trying so hard to deny it. Don't be stupid. Don't be stupid."

Gaara brushed his lips against the soft edge of her ear, feeling the tiny shiver of response in the body underneath his. He wasn't even sure she had heard him; her eyes had closed partway through.

Shifting his arms until they were under her shoulders, supporting instead of pushing, Gaara knew that the problem was her self-denial. Part of her, and he was just guessing, wanted to leave Suna and the memories that were painful behind. He also assumed that she wanted to leave before the good memories became painful too.

Gaara just didn't care enough to let her be weak. Ino was the most headstrong woman that he had met since Temari, and he was positive that if she were to ever give in to her weakness then she would end up hating herself. He wasn't always sure if Ino had learned to appreciate the less strong parts.

Warm wetness against his cheek and the long arms that tightly wrapped around him, Gaara let a small smile steal across his face before burying it in the juncture of her neck.

He might not understand women, but he was beginning to understand Ino and that was enough.

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A/N: A surprise release (well, surprise on my part – didn't think I'd finish it so soon). It might be rough in some places, and I apologize for any grammar mistakes - but it happens.

Anyway, I don't know what happened to this chapter, it was suppose to be more calm and intellectual. They were supposed to talk about their feelings, and instead they use short sentences and got violent. It was rather abrupt in some places, and I'm sure Ino didn't make sense at all (as usual).

Sometimes I wonder who is really in charge here.

Enjoy! Reviews are JOY.


	24. Chapter 24

Ino was sure they were the only members of their sex to sleep in the same bed more than once without having, well, sex.

Though, she frowned, if the details, such as her being unconscious for most of it, were taken into consideration then it probably wouldn't be that impressive. Still, she was sure that some of the girls back at home would have gotten a kick out of it.

Pausing in her ministrations, Gaara made a noise of protest in the back of his throat. Smile hidden in his hair, Ino resumed the slow path that she had been making lightly with her nails over his back. The oh-so-fearsome leader of Suna was currently resting on top of her, his red hair tickling her chin and his arms securely wrapped around her middle in what would have been an uncomfortable position except Ino had the forethought to move so that her upper body was slouched against the wall; leaving a gap for his arms.

Ino was sure that some of her fellow kunoichi would be green with envy if they could see her now; wiling her nights away snuggled up against a good looking dude with antisocial personality quirks. Girls digged the untouchable aura that surrounded those types, it was rather cruel for the girls themselves; to race after a guy who would only hurt her but hey, everyone had different tastes. She had long out grown that phase, thank god.

An image of Sakura came to mind, the strawberry head turned to gaze towards the entrance gates of Konoha, foamy sea green eyes staring with childlike hope that a shadow would form on the horizon. Ino always had to look away from her reformed friend when she got that expression on her face.

Purposefully turning her mindset back to cheerful, Ino inhaled deeply, taking in the unique scent that belonged to Gaara alone.

It felt like they belonged; Gaara relaxed on top of her like a lounging cat – or maybe sun bathing lizard would be more appropriate – with Ino soaking up his warmth. It was such a scandal for them to be like that, she could just imagine the shocked expressions of people and chuckled.

His arms tightened a fraction; Ino didn't stop scratching her little kitty while answering.

"How would the townsfolk react, seeing such a legendary hard-ass leader _cuddling_ up to such a dirty foreigner?"

His silence was full of reproof but Ino continued in a bubbly murmur.

"Dear me! Such an abomination! That loose Konoha whore coming and seducing that hard working Kazekage! Poor fool, she'll have him eating out of her palm like a starved kitten, be as he is so unfamiliar with the workings of women!"

A thrill jolted down her throat to settle somewhere near her knees when his teeth grazed her neck in mock anger at the comparison. The hand that had been lazily trolling his back had found its way to weave through his unruly hair. When hooded jade eyes stared up at her with a frown, Ino crinkled her own back.

"Don't be so harsh on them when they drive me out; they are just protecting their precious Kazekage's innocence after all."

The frown deepened as her grin widened but Ino went with the movement when his hands pulled her hips down until she was lying underneath him instead of sitting up. The electric storm in her stomach might have been indigestion but Ino was pretty sure it was being caused by something else.

Something with a furry red head, barely visible eyebrows, and beautifully green eyes.

"They won't drive you out."

It was harder to concentrate on the conversation with him hovering above her, her legs were a bit uncomfortably spread to accommodate his between them, and the memory of his teeth against her throat still fresh in her mind.

"Of course, how silly of me, they will worship the woman who makes their young leader a man."

Her laughter jostled them until it faded when Gaara leaned down to murmur quietly into her ear. Her hands gripped his upper arms, slightly flexing in their effort of holding him up, and tried to keep the hold light to belie what their proximity was really doing to her.

"Is that what you're going to do?"

And just like that, Gaara turned it serious and heavy. Ino almost wanted to pout at the loss of the friendly atmosphere. Instead, the noise of her swallowing seemed loud and her heart picked up as she stared up at him.

On their own accord, her hands slid up to his shoulders.

Why not, part of her mind thought, they were in the situation for something like that to happen. Something else shied away from it though, the sniveling dark slimy creature in the darkest part of her. The other ninety percent of her was all too willing to fall into sin with the hot blooded creature encaging her on the broken bed.

A broken bed might be a problem, but then it was already broken so that was already done right?

Ino was mildly shocked at her own perverseness, and a bit impressed. Kiba would have been proud.

As if sensing her hesitation, Gaara abruptly rolled. Sitting astride the Kazekage of Suna, Ino felt his hand reach up and slip through her hair – taking with it the band that had been holding it together – and stared down at the position he had created.

She was in control, and ignored the cascade of bed frazzled hair that fell around her to watch his fingers twirl the stolen hair tie while dark eyes watched her. Here was Gaara, lying flat on his back in a show of submission- something most _experienced_ men wouldn't do, especially with his kind of power - and Ino found it a tempting sight.

Like this, it was easier to not be consumed by Gaara, but to consume him.

He watched a man-eating smile slowly make its way to her full mouth. The night casted Ino in a set of new colors, leaving her unusually large sky blue eyes to shimmer like iridescent coals in the surrounding shadows. Her face was shuttered even more by the release of her hair, leaving only glimpses of angles and bones.

It was sensually provocative, and she was still fully clothed. A feat only Ino could have pulled off.

Gaara was running on instinct at the moment, something that he would never admit to the intimidating creature straddling him. He was use to following his instincts, but this was a new battlefield, and it was one he did _not_ want to screw up.

Still, when he was around the blonde, Gaara couldn't seem to not go with the flow that she created. Letting the formalities and protocol drop away from him like a cloak, leaving just him as was made – a product of mistakes, regrets, and beginnings. It was intoxicating, the freedom of self that being with her was, and he could trust it because he knew that it was the same for her.

Ino, Ino was, well, Ino.

Letting his hands slide underneath the surprisingly rough material of her top to rest against the soft skin of her back, Gaara let his eyes fall shut when the smirk left her face.

Ino's hands rested on his chest for support when she bent down to kiss him.

Okay, so she wasn't ready to do the deed, but there was definitely some readiness for a little fun. What was the rush? Ino knew that there were some people who would argue that there was a rush, that their life style didn't give time but took it away. Ninja didn't have the blessing of putting things on hold, because if they did, then it might never happen. They could promise to do it the next day, and never come back from a mission.

Ino knew this, but she also believed that some things, even if they weren't ever finished, were much sweeter and precious when it took time. Her mother always contradicted her father when he hustled Ino for making so many plans; she was always stating how worthless it was to be a ninja if life was dictated by fear of death or hesitation in life. What better way to keep motivation in coming back alive when you know someone was waiting for you?

Gaara was something Ino didn't want to rush, just like she didn't like rushing her teammate's birthday parties. You want to savor the things you love.

So, at the moment, she was savoring his mouth.

If Ino had to kiss him blindfolded and ignorant of whom she was kissing, she would have guessed that it was a girl's lips she had touched. She had a secret suspicion that he used some kind of lip balm to prevent drying out and cracking from the heat, but Ino couldn't deny that whatever Gaara was using was a good. Boys lips just weren't suppose to be that soft.

Kissing Gaara felt _good_. Her lips felt harsh against his, yet that was instantly forgotten when he responded, because boy did Gaara respond when he felt like it. At first it was just her, molding herself against him, nipping playfully and then **bam!** Gaara was there, and it was fire, and suddenly it felt like she wasn't on top and in control anymore because whatever he did, he did it in command even when he was attempting to be submissive.

Which, by the way, he sucked at majorly.

Ino didn't mind, she wasn't doing anything with the mind at all at the moment, as it went cheerfully and hormonally blank when he had responded to her flick of the tongue by gently but suddenly rolling them over again, his hands sliding up to hotly press against her shoulders.

Legs snaking around his, Ino was rapidly losing sight of not being ready at the pressure of his fingers digging into her back – causing her to arch up in response. Her breathing could have been short but she wasn't quite sure if she was even still breathing. All her ears could hear was Gaara's shallow yet quiet breathes that he was somehow getting in between their tongues and lips.

When had kissing become a war? Wasn't there suppose to be a process to kissing? Start off slow and hesitant, exploring and probing and all that stuff? They didn't even get to go through the whole tentative-new-sensation part, but went straight to the hardcore stuff as if they had been doing this together forever.

Finally Ino broke away, the burning in her lungs breaking in relief as she gasped. Falling back to the mattress again, Ino kept a firm grip on his shirt just in case he got the wrong idea. Like she was done or something equally as stupid.

It was this time, for a change, that Gaara broke the silence first. He lowered his head to continue what he had started earlier on Ino's neck, sending awareness on red alert throughout her body but he did pause once in awhile to speak against her flushed skin.

"A week, a month, a year, it does not matter."

She caught herself internally gushing with gooey romanticism before mentally slapping herself to the mission at hand; breathe. The spots dancing around her vision was most definitely from the lack of oxygen, who knew Ino would react like such a girl when a boy touched her?

She never thought she would be doing this without the taint of her past but it was absent now, buried beneath the relish of having Gaara's entire attention on her.

"Wha-?"

If she hadn't already been flushed, she would have blushed in humiliation at the scattered sound of her voice. Gaara glanced up with a look that was suspiciously gleaming with approval and amusement before releasing her entirely to sit up as she had when she had been on top. She scowled.

Looking for all the world like a male whose ego had been generously stroked Gaara grabbed her hands, whether in harm prevention or affection she wasn't sure, as he stared down at her with those stupid green eyes.

"Us, waiting, doesn't matter how long Ino."

Feeling decidedly put out, Ino was sure he had somehow just won something important with her reaction, she spoke out without really thinking of what she was going to say.

"I might get tired."

Back to square one she thought mildly before she was yanked up from her position to meet him in a bruisingly satisfying kiss. She eagerly complied, shaking his hands off her wrists to wrap them around his neck in a death grip.

There was just something about making Gaara act out in sudden violent ways that got her blood stirring. Ino's was a bit concerned that her self-preservation was not as good as it should have been. What was worse, she fuzzily thought as his teeth got a hold of her bottom lip, was that Ino wanted to be violent back.

Maybe it was because, in a career of death, Ino needed blood and pain to really know something was real. To reconfirm to her that it wasn't going to disappear if it hurt, that if she was in pain then it wasn't an illusion. Gaara created pain, a persistent bone deep ache that had her body calling out for a release, for more. She could feel it as her legs and arms tightened more, as if he needed to hurt too.

Gaara responded too, though this could have been the overworking of her overly sensitive perception, but Ino thought she felt him return the same to her. In the way his arms were vices around her, as if keeping her from moving away, his breathing more erratic as it had ever been as he took complete possession of her mouth. Physically calling her out on the untruth in her words. He was all tense passion and Ino reveled like a little school girl in the knowledge that it was hers and hers alone.

Who was the _real_ possessive little snot?

Moaning a little when his fingers dug into her flesh, Ino felt as if another bucket of ice cold water had been poured on her head when a voice spoke because let's face it, Gaara's mouth was occupied elsewhere.

"I'm going to vomit in large copious amounts."

Funny, in most cases of getting caught making out, the boy would get flustered and shove the girl away. Tenten had once told Ino and Hinata a story on how a boy had actually shoved her down a well when he had thought his relative was coming. Ino remembered how Hinata had grown flushed before stammering an apology because that had been _her_ who had come to check on Neji. It had been one of the best summer training days ever.

Gaara, as predictable to being unpredictable, did not fling her away. Which saved him from a few broken bones, Ino was not to be flung anytime or anyplace for any reason. Instead he paused in what he had been so attentively attending too, which evidence of swollen lips proved the amount of dedication he had given, before drawing back to tilt his head at his siblings.

"Stay in the hallway then."

Ino kept her face turned away, intensely aware of the hands lightly resting on her waist, just underneath her shirt damn him. There was yet no reason for her to face their intruders and allowing them to see what Ino was sure to be an indecent amount of tomato cheeks, messy hair and glazed eyes.

Still, she was sorely tempted to look just to see what expressions they were making.

"You.._broke the bed_."

Ino could picture Tio's, who she hadn't felt enter the room, scandalized expression matching the shocked tone before biting her lip and peeking at Gaara from between the locks of tangled hair. His eyes didn't move to her but she caught the imperceptible twitch at the corner of his rather raw looking mouth before quickly turning away, biting her lip harder.

"Yes I did."

Kankuro was apparently more upset at walking in on this than Temari, who Gaara noticed, had a strangely satisfied look as her shrewd eyes smugly eyed then from the place she had taken inside the room. His brother looked like he was going to have some sort of fit, the absent make-up letting Gaara watch as a dark rose colored made its way up the tanned throat to the reddened the tan face.

It was odd to see Kankuro, a self-proclaim womanizer, to be so agitated.

Gaara really didn't care that much though, he had Ino where he wanted her, and wouldn't feel guilty about being in such a position anyway. They were the ones who had silently, and occasionally loudly, encouraged him to take real initiative with Ino. They reaped what they sow was how he was going to look at it; that and bad timing.

"Please tell me you guys didn't have wild sex that resulted in the bed being broken and were just starting on your second wind."

Temari cut in before Gaara could respond. She was frowning hard at her other brother now, a small relief to Gaara who subtly shifted Ino's weight on his legs. When had she wrapped her legs around him, and came to be in his lap? He was a bit unsettled that neither of them had noticed the others coming, but shrugged it off.

"What business is it of yours? Why are you acting all offended Kankuro?"

He felt Ino stiffen, putting an end to Gaara's momentary bout of relaxation. Gently moving her back to the bed, fingers tugging the shirt down as they left their place on her hips, he looked into her face to catch her eye.

It was immensely gratifying, and a tad satisfying, to see the puffy lips and rosy tint to her face. The dark side, which he still held tightly around the scars that Shukaku had created, rumbled with approval of having, if not with blood, reassured his existence.

Her sharp gaze was softened by the long hair that was admittedly going in all directions without design, but it was the clear water blue that he stared into. She stared back for a few seconds before nodding in mute understanding.

Turning around he placed himself just a few inches to the left so that Ino could peek out if she wanted in front of the bed but not enough so everyone could gawk at her. Kankuro wouldn't meet his eyes and Tio, who was out of place in the whole thing, was determinedly staring at the wall.

Temari flashed him another smug look before giving Kankuro a grim eye that promised death or mutilation if he ruined whatever plans she had made.

"Well, it's not appropriate for the Kazekage to do such things and –"

Gaara steeled himself for the increase in volume when Temari cut in again.

"Appropriate! Look who's talking! You've slept with almost all the girls in Suna Kankuro!"

Red flashed through the older shinobi's eyes before his jaw jutted out aggressively. Gaara felt finger tips traced up his right wrist before Ino silently slipped off the hair tie he had carelessly put there before moving to better things.

"I'm not the leader of the village Temari! And they weren't foreigners! I'm discrete!"

Everyone in the room paused at that, each conveying their sense of disbelief that Kankuro could be discrete about anything other than subterfuge in the battlefield. He obviously felt it because just as Ino finished putting her hair back into order and peeked around Gaara she saw his face freeze before reanimating.

"Gaara will only be serious about this kind of stuff and Ino..well Ino's a monstrous tease. She's like me!"

Thoughtfully watching, Ino saw Gaara's back tense and Temari glare pan out. Poor Tio, she smiled at the Chuuin as he glared at the wall.

"Kankuro…Ino doesn't sle-"

Gaara's gesture and voice cut his sister off, a feat that was a first for Ino to witness. The older woman though, didn't seem to mind as she left her younger sibling takes over, but then again he was the Kazekage – recent indecent positions notwithstanding.

"I advise you not to go there."

She knew why he was kicking up such a fuss, she had seen the same resistance in a few others that didn't think someone was serious about who they were pursuing. Ino grinned at the memory of watching Gai-sense and Rock Lee firmly lead Neji out of the training area that their team usually met at, leaving an annoyed but amused Tenten behind.

Flopping to the side of the bed so that her upper face could be seen, Ino grinned sheepishly at the others.

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a tease."

She watched Temari smirk a little, it was a bit of a surprise to see the older kunoichi so open about her wanting them together – in fact Ino found it downright suspicious. Kankuro, on the other hand, seemed to have entered into an internal struggle. His eyes drifted from her to Gaara and back again before immediately closing.

From where no one could see, Ino lifted a hand and slid it up Gaara's scrunched shirt – resting lightly on the warm skin of his lower back. It was tense, but not enough to where Ino felt she had to do something drastic. Yet.

Ignoring the other brother, she let her eyes drift to where Tio was still wall –staring, feeling a surge of pity for the man.

"Tio, how is the little sand witch I so dearly don't miss?"

He's eyes flickered to hers in a miserable wave of hazel, but she smiled unrepentive.

"Risa's good, she enjoys where you had her moved too and is adjusting very well."

Ino nodded happily, watching Kankuro out of the corner of her eye as she tried to remember where she had sent her former student. It wasn't trauma, the girl didn't have enough stamina for that, maybe it had been the natal area? Popping out babies and what not? That was something that didn't require a lot of chakra.

Temari was watching Kankuro too, a small frown on her face.

"Excellent, I had just signed off on some of the other Chuuin who should be moved up so that they can enter into more fieldwork. By the way, did you ever solve that other problem with the sand snitch?"

Tio knew what she was doing; everybody in the room knew what she was doing; changing the topic so that Kankuro and Gaara could figure out what they needed to work out. She wouldn't begrudge them of that, she was sure if her team was here Ino would be stuck in the same position. With that enlightened thought in mind, she cast Temari a fresh glance of distrust. So that was how it was, huh?

"Risa and I, as of the moment, are not dating."

Flickering back, her attention now caught, Ino sat up and frown. Not bothering to make sure she looked presentable, she scooted until she could put her feet on the floor. It was an awkward position, she had long legs and the mattress was about seven inches in height at best. Not including the broken frame.

"Why not? She was obviously after your pen-"

He hurriedly cut her off, his eyes casting around before landing back on hers. She smiled, curling her fingers into Gaara's back so that her nails dug in just a bit. Just enough to keep some of his attention on her.

She was quite evil…and enjoyed it.

"It was because of her behavior, she should be mature enough to put personal stuff outside of her duties."

While Ino shook her head with a murmured "newbie" Temari was the one who corrected him. Her slanted eyes finally leaving their contemplation on her siblings to turn on the Chuuin with her mouth quirked up with a rueful smile.

"This just proves that you are still very green. Ninja's personal lives always end up intertwined with their duty. Which is why so many die while on a mission. They have someone at home waiting for them or with them on the job. An ideal that rules their life will without fail, come to play a big part in their job. Why do you think we are what we are? Because we have something precious that affects us."

Tio regarded the Suna woman for a long moment, his dark eyes lost. Ino nodded before turning her mind back to more important things at the moment, although she did murmur.

"Propriety will lose you many things."

The skin beneath her fingers was smooth, scar less, and Ino imagined, pale as a bed sheet. It didn't show the brunt of all of Gaara's hard work, Shukaku had its purpose she supposed. Now that her mind was free from any moral wavering of such unprofessional thoughts, she indulged the curiosity on how it would feel if his birthday suit was the only thing he wore. Damn pheromones.

Kankuro knew about this, whatever was between her and the Kazekage. It hadn't been, not truly, hidden from anybody and it hadn't bothered the older jouuin until something had set him off – allowing him to realize that it was indeed serious in the she-might-become-your-sister-in-law-one-day kind of way.

Ino paused, surprised and mortified at what just crossed her mind. Sick.

Abruptly dropping her hand, Ino leaned back on her elbows, blatantly staring at the young man. Besides her as if he had sensed the shock that ran through her, Gaara twisted enough to glance back at her – both in question and protectiveness.

When she met those eyes any sort of a grin disappeared from her face.

"Kankuro, it's serious – god help us all but it is. You knew this, so what's the real issue here?"

When he didn't answer, she slowly stood up. Tilting her head, Ino took in the uncomfortable shift in the broad shoulders, the tinge to his cheeks, and felt her face stiffen with the sudden urge to laugh.

Putting her excellent ninja skills to good use, Ino swung around to throw her arms around Gaara's neck. She was thankful he hadn't moved, like breaking her neck or anything drastic, at her attack. Laughing low with a wide smirk, she let her eyelids droop before meeting Temari's and Tio's eyes. The former looking bemused while poor Tio was trying to edge towards the door.

Gaara simply stood there as she hung all over him, as if there wasn't another adult human being's weight added onto his. Pressing her cheek against his, she saw how his eyes didn't as much as twitch as they watched his brother. What a good guy, he knew her tactics and let her play as she wanted.

"You …are such an overprotective and possessive brother Kankuro! I wouldn't have thought of you like that this!"

Yes, that was it; he really was acting like Gai-sensei and Lee, both who viewed the orphaned Tenten as their own daughter and sister. They allowed flirtation and admiration but as soon as someone became remotely serious- as in it could become permanent – they stopped being supportive and became the overprotective family that she didn't have.

No one wanted to lose time or be replaced. Yet they wanted that person to be happy. It was very bittersweet; something she was intimate with.

Glancing at Temari, she kept the smile on her face.

Kankuro looked at her with dark eyes before lowering them to the floor. Abruptly shrugging his shoulders as if to shift a weight, he turned towards the door. He didn't pause when he spoke, and Ino had to let go of Gaara and step forward to catch it all.

"I'd kill for what he deserves, fuck it up and we'll have to meet."

Tio quickly followed his retreating back; obvious relief on his face at having an opportunity to leave.

It was quiet for a few moments. Temari watched when Ino finally broke out of the thoughtful stance she had locked into after Kankuro left. The dark blonde watched as the blonde's full mouth slowly turned up while turning around to meet the slightly widened eyes of her baby brother.

Her voice was kind when she reached out a hand to gently nudge one of his shoulders.

"Didn't expect that did ya?"

Temari definitely hadn't so she wasn't surprised when Gaara looked a bit stunned as he met Ino's smiling face. Taking a step out of the room, she reached up to rub her temple.

"That was a bit of a surprise but I understand what he meant."

Ino watched Gaara as he mentally processed what happened. Kankuro basically declared that he was overprotective of Gaara and didn't want to see him hurt. It was rather sweet really, and for once she wasn't going to say anything that would ruin it.

Time enough later for teasing.

His eyes stared at her, the rest of his face back into mask, but she didn't need him to smile to know how much it meant to him to know that his family cared about him. Behind them Ino could hear Temari move.

"Well, I'ma go and leave you two alone. We had only stopped by because someone below had heard a..crash.."

She didn't wait for an answer but left with the soft click of the door.

Ino's smile grew wider, causing Gaara's eye to narrow in suspicious but he was surprised yet again that night by what she murmured next.

"What a lovely way to be reassured of your existence, huh?"

She spared him from answering by leaning in and placing a docile kiss on his lips before leading him back to the bed. It had been a long day, and suddenly she was faint with exhaustion. Pushing him down to lay on his back on the mattress, Ino retrieved a blanket before crawling in curl up against his side. Letting him deal with the arranging of the blanket, she sighed with content before closing her eyes – her forehead pressed against his arm.

"We'll fight about the rest tomorrow."

Ino was asleep before Gaara could even respond.

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A/N: So let me get this sin off my chest, I could have updated a lot sooner but I started a new quarter of school and then I started re-reading the Percy Jackson series…and well..my sleepless nights were because of those mostly. Anyway, this chapter started of super swell (in my opinion) and then Kankuro, being the bum that he is, started giving me trouble. So I'm not so sure how that part turned out well.

Anyway, reviews are almost as sweet as you darlings.

Oh, any grammar mistakes are all on me. I'm sorry


	25. Chapter 25

He remembered being curious as a child what poets always meant by wanting to watch a loved one as they slept. What was so special? People generally were worse when they were asleep; their guards were down; allowing farting, drooling, and snoring. So what was so appealing to watching someone as they emitted gross gases and liquids?

He found it a bit creepy.

But as Gaara stared at the form below him, he wasn't sure he was any closer to an answer. Still, his eyes didn't want to look away. Ino seemed to have the ability to completely relax when asleep; her lengthy limbs languid and smooth under his hands.

He hadn't meant to touch but after watching in amusement as her turned face remained lax, a small wet spot growing under her open mouth on the pillow, Gaara hand hadn't been able to resist the age old urge to reach out a finger to poke Ino's cheek.

Paused for the violent reaction that was bound to happen.

When the blonde did nothing in response, Gaara took liberties that could get him slapped. Ino's legs were surprisingly…hairy. The long firm legs were covered generously with an increasingly prickly amount of fine blonde hairs. A grin tugged at his lips as his hand leisurely roamed curves of knee and thigh. In the faint light the small various blemishes of her skin could be seen. Small dark lines marred around her hips; a testament of fast growth. Temari had once bitched about them being "battle scars of becoming a woman" when Kankuro had carelessly commented on her own.

He withheld the desire to lean down and kiss them.

Fingertips gentle, Gaara unhurriedly lifted the shirt an inch to fully see a different mark on her body. Long and silvery, it was obvious that the scar was old –but the length was a bit disconcerting. Who tried to run her through but only left a five inch mark?

Staring at her ridiculous purple underwear yet not seeing them, Gaara tried to get a grip. A scar didn't bother him, but he had never really looked at her stomach. It was laced with several kunai and other dangerous object scars. All long and could-have-been-fatal looking. He felt the first pang of dislike for her older revealing outfit.

Minus the purple underwear.

It took Gaara a moment to realize that Ino's scars scared him. Just as much as when he hadn't been able to help her in the cave.

Ino was dreaming of the children's ward. To a degree she felt exasperation; after all didn't she spend enough time there awake? Still, glancing around she noticed that almost all the beds were empty and the occupied ones held random animals instead of kids. Same thing really, the little monsters.

Stranger yet was how her stomach felt, hot and twitchy, its insides fluttering like mad.

When she opened her eyes Ino found her lower half covered, not by blankets, but by Gaara's upper half. Rumpled glossy hair that was erratically pointing everywhere was hovering above her stomach. Soft lips her bare mid-drift created mad panic in her poor tummy. She watched in silent curiosity.

His kisses, she felt with a pang, traced the scars on her stomach; while his hand traced her stretch marks on the outside of her thigh. Ino felt an urge to slap his hand away but stubbornly resisted. He has seen them enough before and she refused to feel ashamed.

Then she noticed how he was clenching his eyes shut. Reaching up a hand, Ino softly touched his face.

"Gaara?"

* * *

...

A/N: Oh my! It's been so long, I'm not even sure there are people even interested in Gaara Ino anymore! It's been a busy time for me, what with weddings, family roadtrips, and ...boyfriend...(grins sheepishly), plus catching up on a bunch of reading! Wooo, but I found sometime! =D So as of right now I'm rereading and getting my inner GaaraIno juices ready again to continue on! This was always going to be a short chapter, so think of it as an intermission to bigger ones.. =)


	26. Chapter 26

He hadn't meant to reach out and trace her scars, but was filled with purpose as he brushed his lips slowly across the mars on her skin. It was agonizing to feel the stretch of new but not as good skin fill over attacks that could have killed her.

Gaara wanted to make them go away just as much as he admired them for the strength they showed.

"Gaara?"

Long rough feminine hands sprawled through his hair that was scattered across her bare midriff. His eyes stayed close, not sure what they held and not wanting Ino to see whatever they contained.

He didn't know what to say, in some ways what Ino had been saying the night before was accurate; even if she had said it half in frustration and half in an attempt to get reassurance from him. She wasn't permanent here in Suna, and long-distance would be near impossible with two shinobi.

Gaara wasn't one to be deterred by the facts though.

He wanted Ino, not just in a blatant sexual way that most associated with those words, but in a longing of needing something to help remind him that he was whole, that his natural self of mixed good and bad was enough, was just _enough_.

Gaara wondered if that was like it would be like to be accepted by a mother; someone who would nourish his needs with an unconditional love and a simple wish for him to be the best that included all of his qualities.

Ino was definitely not what he would consider motherly material, but she contained the same aspect that drew him to the idea; her unflinchingly clear view of him. Just as his view was of her.

It was not a feeling that would waver and fade away with lingering regrets, it was something that had become part of both of them and would stay with them forever or however short their lives are. And if it meant trying something that others, including Ino herself, thought was beyond a long shot, then he was willing to risk it.

In any case, Ino and he were good at doing the unexpected.

Softly kissing a three inch scar underneath her bellybutton, Gaara was positive that this wasn't false.

...

It remained quiet despite her questioning tone, but Ino felt a response in the way that Gaara had paused with his nose brushing against the soft vulnerable skin of her stomach. It was a pose that made her feel oddly exposed, especially with the feel of his calm breathe pebbling her skin.

The strands that she had entangled her fingers were soft yet coarse, like a wool blanket. Days of going uncared for causing the normally shiny strands to harden with god-only- knows what. Ino inconspicuously removed her hand before pushing up on his shoulders.

Gaara followed her with a compliancy that surprised her.

"Gaara?"

This time the lids opened to reveal to Ino tortured eyes. Reaching a hand up without thinking, Ino cupped his neck to bring his closer, his hands placed against her stomach as if trying to conceal her scars.

It would have irked her greatly in any other situation, but she inwardly grimaced and shrugged the feeling of shame away. Ino knew this was not his intention.

"You could have died with any of these."

In the wake of a confession most guys would have looked away or towards the ground in order to avoid the sense of exposure that they were committing. Gaara's eyes stayed locked on her; letting neither of them to look away.

Ino's smiled contained a bit of the hopelessness that his statement raised inside of her.

"Yes and one day one might actually succeed. You know this; it is the curse of our trade yes?"

When he simply continued to look at her, Ino leaned forward to kiss his tattoo before sliding away to stand up. Looking down to where he hadn't moved from except to let his hands fold in a precise position in front of his lap, Ino felt the turmoil ease at the sight.

He might be crazily worried about their future, or what was going to happen to the village, or to anyone and yet Gaara would never allow the world to see the racing thoughts going through his head. In order to give other people a peace of mind, or give ease to those who need it, he neglected his own by hiding it behind his big-boy mask. Probably hoping for it to disappear on its own.

Last night, Ino realized with irritation and affection, he had put on his big-boy pants and gave her the words she needed to hear. What they both needed to hear.

He watched as her eyes softened considerably before she leaned down to place a slow lingering kiss on his lips. Sensing something important, Gaara didn't move a muscle until she had moved away.

"Let's get ready, it's almost daylight."

Moving away from the bed and redhead, Ino headed towards the bathroom before pausing at the door to give him a sarcastic leer over her shoulder.

"Can't believe you aren't up already, aren't there doors to be knocked on at dawn and people's sleep to disturb?"

Chuckling to herself, she turned to finish her trek to the bathroom when a soft gush of speed passed her. The sound of the door shutting resounded with the stunned silence that followed.

The sound of someone who had just stolen first bathroom rights, someone who was going to die very soon, urinating could be heard before Ino yelled in frustration.

"GAARA!"

The answer was a low gravelly chuckle with the sound of shower water.

...

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…...

…...

…...

* * *

A/N: Alright, so my final two years of school has started *screams of agony and joy combined* and it's going to be TOUGH haha so my updates will be sporadic (hopefully not) and the chapters not as long as they use to be….(again, hopefully not)

As usual, I apologize for any grammar mistakes.


	27. Chapter 27

"You two are like an old married coupled."

Matsuri watched with a critical eye as the two supposedly mature and highly trained shinobi bickered. Their scathing words thrown at each other over the fine powder that rested in a bowl; incomplete and forgotten.

She watched as Tio wildly gestured his arms, the normally friendly face gone, replaced by something akin to a thunder storm. Her lips twitched with a grin as she noted how his curly hair seemed as if it was almost on end from frustrated hands running through it. Static electricity?

Yamanaka was, per usual, worse.

Matsuri's opinion of the girl was not entirely altered. Ino was a crazy bat who didn't follow rules and practically oozed excessive sexuality. She should be tattooed with a warning sign.

Still, Gaara had been right, she was unbelievably strong. This didn't mean physically, not like Naruto of the Leaf, or Gaara. No, Ino was strong in a different sense. A strength that came from the mind more than the body.

Pausing at that, she had to mentally shake her head. Both of those examples showed the same type of mental willfulness, it was just that Ino relied on it more so in the absence of a greater strength that those two contained.

Still, she thought scathingly, no one could be able to tell if they were just looking at her. If the dumb girl wasn't dressed like a bimbo, she was probably screeching like a desert cat.

Like now, her own face was twisted with a scowl as the two continued to bitch over some kind of medicine for one of the kids. Matsuri had long stopped listening; she wasn't a med nin and never wanted to be. Cutting into people who weren't attacking was just wrong.

She wouldn't even be inside the small pharmaceutical closet by the children's ward if the council and Kazekage hadn't wanted her to pick up a receipt of some sorts.

"You're a stupld old-fashioned witch!"

Ino's retort wasn't much better.

"You're an ignorant bitch!"

Matsuri's eyes drooped briefly before casually pulling out two shuriken and launching them at the two across the room.

Both ducked causing the desired pause in the argument. All three ignored the sound of glass breaking.

"You're both idiots. Can I have the report or whatever the Kazekage requested for today's council meeting?"

She watched with growing irritation as both exchanged confused glances. Tio's eyes met hers.

"Report?"

They both looked towards Ino but the blonde was frowning, her eyes towards the window.

"Gaara had sent over a request for a written report on...whatever you two do in here."

Tio glanced around probably noting the general display of recent mess and sighed before meeting her eyes again.

"We didn't get that request."

Matsuri's frown deepened. Again? Who was interfering with this group so much? Or was this just the product of these two morons being scatterbrained?

Her bet was on the two morons.

...

* * *

The Kazekage seemed distracted.

It wasn't very noticeable; in fact, if Kankuro didn't know his brothers facial expressions so well he wouldn't have noticed a difference at all. The blank face with veiled eyes was still present, a show of controlled power in a room full of shinobi.

Most of who had wanted to kill him at one point.

But the change was there; Gaara was not as focused as usual and Kankuro was positive it was all Ino's fault.

The last week the two have been oddly quiet. Each would go to their respective areas in the morning; he knew Gaara had resumed picking her for lunch. The redhead could be caught casually waiting outside the hospital for the Leaf kunoichi.

At the end of the day Ino would go to her apartment. After a few hours Gaara would show up.

It really freaked Kankuro out that Gaara was having sleep overs.

Not that he suspected his brother of being promiscuous; he knew for a fact that it was the opposite, but still. It was just hard to fathom, that out of every male in the village, Ino clicked almost eerily well with Gaara.

Possibly because of their natural hostile tendencies?

"It is taking the kunoinchi much longer to return with those papers."

The comment was spoken from one of the elders, craggy old man who like to point things out when they weren't going as they should. As if the lack of response was due to who was the Kazekage.

Kankuro would dearly love to take the old bag out back for permanent disposal, but he resisted as Gaara simply turned his piercing stare to the shinobi until the older man began to shift uncomfortably. The young leader took it personal when someone unfairly critiques his student.

They were interrupted when the far door burst open in a whirlwind of bright purple and blonde. Ino practically danced to the end opposite of Gaara, her smile large as she winked at him and Kankuro. Matsuri, surly looking as they have ever seen her, sulk in afterwards as if she wished she rather be fighting for her life in some mission than following the blister forming Konoha ninja.

Of course, Kankuro briefly fought a battle over closing his eyes in exasperation over the new ruckus the old farts were beginning to make over the unexpected appearance of _foreign_ shinobi in a private Suna meeting. She just couldn't do anything normal.

His irate grew when a subtle shifting movement happened to his right. Gaara entire self was honed in on the young woman, his eyes the only objects giving him away as they stared at her. Kankuro fought the urge to groan.

"What is this!"

...

* * *

Ino flippantly waved aside the offended speaker, her eyes sparkling like clear desert water at the Gaara. He felt something shift inside him, like his muscles forcefully relaxing during a stretch after a harsh training session. Which didn't much sense; Ino was a training session plus an S mission all bundled into an equally frustrating package.

He knew what she was doing with her show of bold entry and rudeness; but chose to let his eyes slide away from hers to meets Matsuri's. The brunette didn't look very pleased with her new companion, but shrugged when he turned towards hers.

"Kazekage, she thought it was better to report in person."

Nodding in dismissal, Gaara didn't watch her flee as he turned back to Ino. Taking in her hassled appearance, he chose a safer route of diplomacy instead of letting her tear apart his council. Not yet at least.

"Yamanaka, have you been training?"

Her smile falter as a hand began to lift self consciously towards her head before dropping. The smile turned sheepish as her sharp eyes took in turn each person at the oval table. The returning looks were all bordering between disgust and hatred. Glancing to his left, he saw that Kankuro's own expression had shut down.

"Well not really, it was more of a misunderstanding.."

A movement caught Gaara's eyes as Tio's hesitant form sidled into view from where he has been lingering behind Ino's shadow. The brown eyes didn't meets Gaara's as he shuffled forward to bow low to the table. The young medic nin also looked beat up. Gaara slid his gaze back onto Ino, who simply smirked.

He wanted to press them more, find out what they were fighting about, but he could sense a growing dislike for the intrusion and now was not the place to ask such personal questions. Lowering his lids, Gaara spoke over the upset murmurs easily, having them trail off into silence at the sound of his soft voice.

"Why did you come and not give Matsuri what I had asked for?"

...

* * *

Ino had already decided that Kazekage Gaara was not her favorite persona that the redhead took. She assumed it was because she hated when people acted distant from her, especially those who were anything but. It made her want to react rashly.

This was not the time to do anything that could damage their, she gritted her teeth against the term, relationship; so for once Ino took the high road and focused on the task laid out in front of her.

"Well, to be honest a simple written report wouldn't really give you much insight on what we do," her voice traveled out to the entire audience but her eyes stayed trained on Gaara. Boy had some gorgeous peepers, "and we didn't get any request for a report so.."

Trailing off Ino gestured with her hand in open invitation for questions, making her posture less bold and more welcoming. After all she didn't want these gas bags to dislike what they were trying to do, that would be counterproductive for Suna. A small smile fixed on her face as Gaara gave her an almost imperceptible nod of approval. She resisted rolling her eyes.

"What do you do in that...room?"

It came from the right side, but she didn't bother to locate the speaker; it didn't matter who asked to be honest because she was not suppose to be the one giving these people what they want. This was not her village. Not bothering to check at her side for Tio, Ino took a measuring breath before beginning.

"What we do is take what we know about the more...serious ailments that some patients suffer from, particularly the children, and try to create specialized medications. I will let my assistant, and the one who will continue this when I...leave tell you anything you would like to know. Tio."

Stepping back respectfully, after all these were the leaders the Hokage had to deal with there was no way she was going to piss them off or else Tsunade will use her head as a kick ball, letting the decidedly nervous looking young ninja step up to take over.

She let her smile relax into a genuine grin as his wide brown eyes met hers. Leaning closer, Ino whispered good naturedly.

"You'll do fine; just don't mention any screw ups."

Straightening up, she let herself indulge in one more eye roving of Gaara, who gave her the barest of brow lifting, before bowing once more and letting herself out.

...

* * *

Grimacing at the bright sunlight, Ino stepped into the middle of the street just as familiar face came into her line of vision. Loping with the steps of one who got out of something seriously boring, Ino danced her way over until she was in front of the woman.

"Temari! Let's do something fun! Let's get in trouble!"

Meeting eyes that were more green than blue today, Ino watched as the older girl thought it over before smiling deviously. Yes, it was going to be a good day.

Letting the sand kunoichi hook her over the shoulder with a well muscled arm, Ino let Temari lead her away from the Kage building and down the street.

"Come on, I know just the perfect place."

Oh yes, Ino smiled sedately, let the shenanigans begin.

...

* * *

...

..

A/N: Not much in the way of fluff but too of that can create cavities. I apologize for any grammar mistakes.


	28. Chapter 28

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Gaara was going to kill her. Probably.

The thought was enough to sober Temari up, mostly. Clutching the fifth empty bottle in her hand, she watched as Ino swayed her way around the small rarely used dance floor in the middle of the seedy bar. Suna people just weren't dancers, but apparently Konoha excelled in that area.

At least Ino did.

Temari didn't consider herself anything other than strictly straight, but even she could feel her cheeks flush a bit deeper, and it wasn't necessary from the amount of alcohol she had consumed.

Ino danced…well…_well._

Her hair was coming out of the usually perky ponytail, her cheeks rosy and eyes bright as she twirled and weaved around a few stunned men who had unthinkingly followed her out onto the small platform.

Gods, the Kazekage was going to rip her a new one if he saw the scene.

The blonde wasn't actually touching any of them, but for the last hour since she had slipped off her chair with the latest bottle, Ino's actions had quickly gone from playful to an almost distant dance, which was entirely more alluring. Still, Temari noticed how even inebriated the kunoichi did not make an attempt to physically touch any of the surrounding men. Yet.

Sliding off the chair, not noticing the crash of the bottle she had let slip through her fingers, Temari started to make her way through the crowd when the door swung open behind her; giving a mighty gust of wind to startle her.

"Wha-?"

Suddenly straightening up with mortification at being caught doing something so, immature, Temari blinked as her brothers made their way over to where she dazedly stood. As if in afterthought, a small figure, Matsuri, came breezing through the door.

Smiling a bit too sloppily, Temari threw caution to the wind when they were level with her and handed an empty glass out in invitation.

"Care to join?"

Kankuro grinned before placing a quick order with the bartender. Gaara didn't blink and she realized this was probably the first time he's ever seen his sister drunk. The grin on her face widened.

"Looking for some one..special?"

Not waiting for an answer, she turned and gestured with a vague hand towards the movement going on behind her, before deciding that drinking more and not watching was better for her health. Kankuro must have agreed, because one glance and he was sliding onto the stool next to her.

Matsuri growled, starting forward until a movement from the Kazekage stopped her. Looking over, she paused before retreating until her back was against Kankuro. The puppeteer glance over his shoulder once before grabbing the girls shoulder and moving her to the empty seat next to him.

…..

Ino was pretty sure she wasn't actually suppose to be drinking. Technically this was a mission, but Temari had kept on plying the throat burning drinks and Ino was not to be backed down just because of a few layers of throat tissue.

Still she swapped a few when the older girl wasn't looking for some plain water, and two bathroom trips were enough to at least level the ground out if not being entirely sober.

Then someone started to pay music. The radio was obviously old, had probably seen decades of better days, but that wasn't what caught her attention.

It was home.

She remembered frequently catching the song everywhere in Konoha. Shikamaru's mom hummed it, the flower shop's radio, in various vendors. It was a light beat and happy song; something that surprised her here in Suna.

It brought to mind a sharp memory of Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, and her lying on the flower shops rooftop. The building was only a block away from the Hokage tower, giving the girls ample view of who went in and out of the building.

It had been blistering out, the zenith of the summer, and while some of the girls were working on tans the others were working on the fudgicles in the cooler by Tenten. Both were appreciating the view of shirtless men. Giggling shamelessly when one passed. Hinata had squeaked when Neji walked by, dropping her ice cream and nearly giving their positions away.

It was home, childhood, and happiness.

It hurt.

She hadn't even realized she had gotten up until she was halfway on the rugged and splintered dance floor. Her hips swaying with the beat; ignoring the murmurs of men around her. She wasn't dancing for them, or for attention. But for herself, for what she suddenly missed, and maybe, just maybe a little part was dancing for what she was going to miss.

Lost in her mind Ino didn't realize anything until she felt the door open, bringing in the wind from the late evening. Blinking owlishly, she looked around in somewhat surprise at how many males were on the floor with her.

None dancing, but circling her like some kind of prey.

A frown tugged at her lips at the sight, a bit disgusted by such a display, but vanished quickly when a familiar group came into her line of vision.

Happily shoving a few guys out of her way, Ino hurried a bit clumsily to where Gaara was waiting. His eyes were beyond hers, no doubt terrifying all the jerks into peeing her pants with the blank yet dangerous look.

"Gaaaaaara!"

She went to leap at him, only to miss, running into the bar instead. Excellent, very sexy.

Ignoring the snickers and guffaws from the three next to her, Ino straightened up to face the rather bemused looking leader with a large smile.

"A drink perhaps, oh great leader of the dunes?"

She waited expectantly while he eyed her and the bar before shaking his head. Catching something subtle in his features, Ino pounced.

"Perhaps, you've never…drank before?"

His eyes shifted away ever so slightly, giving her the victory. Laughing lightly, Ino motioned to the grizzly looking bartender, and in loud conspirator tone whispered in his ear.

"Hey Bartender, let's make the leader something good for his first drink aye?"

The dour man simply nodded and turned away, leaving Ino to gaze with ill conceal affection as Gaara slowly made his way to the stool at the end of the bar. He moved like a man walking on glass, and a suddenly thought had her mouth speaking before she really thought it through.

"Have you never tried because of losing control?"

There was tense moment with those behind her but Gaara simply quirk the corner of his mouth up briefly before taking the offered glass with a bare acknowledgement of the mumbled "on the house sir".

She waited in anticipation as he raised his glass slowly to his mouth to take a healthy sized sip. Feeling the others crowd around her to see his reaction. Morbid curiosity, she heard Kankuro whisper "chunks."

It seemed like nothing was going to happen, and Ino felt disappointment flood through her as she snap her fingers in front of her.

"Ah shit, I was hoping you'd-"

A suddenly flash of red and a swish of intense wind cut her sentence off. A second later the door that Ino knew to be the unisex toilet slammed shut, effectively deadening any sound from within.

Glancing wide eyes, and admittedly grins, with Kankuro and Temari, Ino waited until Gaara uncharacteristically slouched out of the rather fragrant room before letting out a whoop of triumph.

"Gaara Puke! Point for Konoha, FINALLY! Drinks for all!"

This caused a loud applause as the crowd began to liven up again, leaving Ino to bob and weave until she was standing by the ashen faced leader of Suna, one of the deadliest villages to ever exist. She smirked until he gave her a look with unusual wide eyes and whispered in a shocked rough voice.

"I've..never been sick before."

Losing her grin, Ino reached a hand up to touch his temple before glancing around.

"Want to go sneak out of here?"

He answered by slowly wrapping his hands around hers, and turning to use the back door.

...

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A/N: An extra chapter today as an xmas present and for neglecting to update more often. ~grins~


	29. Chapter 29

"I never thought I'd say this, but… I'm really glad I got to share this new puking experience with you."

Jade eyes narrowed in a glare as he lazily rubbed a towel over his wet hair. It looked almost black when wet and Ino took the moment to admire the effect instead of focusing on the scowl underneath.

She wasn't sure why he had led them to his apartment instead of hers. Ino was sure it was breaking several security rules; but then she remembered that she had been here before. It still counted even if she had been out of it most of the time. She refused to think of the rest of what had happened.

The room had been refurnished since her last rather violent visit. The walls were redone to hide any scars, painted to match the new but sparse furniture. Her hands reached out to trace the surprisingly soft blanket that was bundled in a mess on the bed.

Gaara didn't make his bed, who knew?

Casting a glance at him from beneath her lashes, Ino kept her fingers lightly on the blanket.

"Do you actually sleep or do you just make it look like it?"

His eyes darted to the bed before settling on her, the towel carelessly dropped to the floor. The image of the Kazekage being a private slob entranced and excited her. She grinned at the thought. It faded as he made his way towards her, his eyes dark as they trapped hers. Ino licked her suddenly dry lips.

For a guy who was a self proclaimed non-lady mans, he sure knew how to put on the smolder when he wanted.

"Gaara?"

His hands slid up to around her neck with damp warmth and she let her eyes drift shut as his freshly cleaned mouth settled upon hers with tingly mint. Hands found their way underneath his shirt to slide up a muscular back, Ino could imagine their path along the pale and unmarred skin.

It was a sweet kiss, soft, gentle, and Ino felt a shiver of apprehension from it. Leaning back to look at him, she felt her stomach squeeze with uneasiness.

"Should I be worried?"

His eyes stared back with endless depth and for the first time she wondered if he had really taken that drink just for kicks or was it because there was something he was trying to avoid. Her pulse picked up at the thought, anxiety and excitement mixed. Always mixed.

Letting her hands fall when he turned away Ino thought he was going to do something, but was surprised when he went to his dresser and pulled a small box out. It was about the size of the jewelry box her father had gotten her when she was a child. Instead of the brightly painted flowers and musical attachment that had played with great gusto the song from some princess story, this box was unremarkable.

Ino stepped back with caution when he held it out to her.

"Uh-ah, plain things are generally the most dangerous."

Looking at Ino, Gaara could disagree.

"It's…stationary."

She rose a brow at that before hesitantly reaching out to let him set it in her hand. Tracing the dull wood, Ino let her head drop to hide her expression.

"Is it…special stationary?"

The following silence melted the meant humor away, leaving behind a small sweat breaking out on her lower back. Where had the fun, laughs, and drunk times go? Darkly, she blamed the mystery box.

"I received a message from Tsunade. There had been…attempts in Konoha."

He motioned with his head when hers shot up to stare with wide eyes.

"No one was successful but it means that someone is targeting other villages. She seems to have had some leads that indicated that the main suspect is here."

Ino let it soak in as her fingers absently roamed the box. This wasn't what she had expected; and the knowledge that Gaara could have been keeping it from her quickly left in the following defense that he wouldn't have left a Konoha ninja out of the loop; especially since it had been a great impact on her and her "mission."

Still, the thought that brats back home had been targeted made Ino's sight turn red briefly before flickering to meet stoic green.

"What does this mean for u- me?"

His mouth tightened at her slip up but Gaara gamely ignored it for the sake of getting this conversation over with sooner. Taking a step around her, he sat on the bed with a concealed sigh; it had been a long day.

"She asked if you could continue the mission with the hospital, her reasoning being that leaving it half assed would only make matters worse here."

As he quietly talked Ino had set the stationary set down to climb up behind him, beginning a backrub that gradually moved up the scale of roughness. It felt amazing, leaving Gaara feeling distinctly boneless, he had never had a backrub before.

" I feel like there's a 'but' there."

Letting his head fall onto his chest, Gaara let a hand reach back to tentatively a bare ankle.

"She suggests that the rest of your team be sent here to help with an investigation and protection. "

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A/N: I know! Don't shoot me; it's been sooo long, but school and life had to take priority. This is too short but I needed to get it out of the way before I could move forward haha!


	30. Chapter 30

Evidently the paper wasn't important at all. Just something he wanted to give for to her for a keepsake; Suna paper in all of its sandy glory. Used in a moment he wasn't sure how to handle like a life vest among the waves, Ino stared down at it for a long moment before looking up to meet his rather sparkly eyes.

Melodramatic bastard.

"My team?"

Despite the horrific implications that having Shikamaru and Chouji here would bring, she couldn't stop the slow warmth spreading through her chest. Images of unruly hair and grins came to her mind, as well as a sense of completion that could only happen when she felt that all the pieces of her life have fallen together.

Home.

And they were bringing it to her.

"Tsunade…and I agree that having your full team would benefit this situation the most."

Her grin was a bit too bright for such a sentence but she wasn't going to do a darn thing about it. This was her happy moment. Reaching out to trace a careless finger down his face; water droplets from his hair had slid down to leave damp trails on his cheeks.

"I bet she didn't let you decide a damn thing, poor little kid wearing such big people shoes."

Her voice came out a bit lower, bit shakier than she had intended, the affect surprising them both as his eyes widen fractionally followed by a nonchalant shrug. His hand had found its way to the junction of her neck and shoulder; the chill of his palm sending shivers to her toes.

His eyes were dark warmth; glowing in the moment of happiness that was radiating from her. Ino leaned into his hand and soaked it in. She ignored the reasons as to why they were coming to Suna for the moment.

"It's…good to see you happy."

Blinking at him with different, horrifying warmth spreading across her face Ino stayed quiet. The words slipped away with the minutes, as she reached her hands up to pull him into a hug that turned into an embrace as he sighed with what she hope was content; his head slipping down until it rested against her stomach. His arms were strong but tender as they wrapped around her thighs.

He thought she wasn't happy here, that all the events had marked the place and its inhabitants with taint and she was all but ready to leave. As if the only way to make a difference was to have her team come to the rescue. As if she needed saving from Suna.

Well, she grinned, maybe she did need saving from its leader.

The thought was sobering even in its humor. She was scared of leaving, but afraid to stay. The fear growing every time she found herself in situations such as this; cradling Gaara towards her in a matter that most would consider maternal but was anything but to the two of them. When his hands slid underneath her shirt she sighed deeply herself when fire like melted wax lazily made its way from her core to spread throughout the rest of her body.

Fingertips like the sun left traces of fire as they circled on the skin of her lower back. He was dangerous; she shivered before sliding down to her knees. His hands tangled somewhere in her bunched shirt between her shoulder blades, Ino didn't care as she pressed a tight lipped kiss to his.

It was followed by soft, then hard, gentle, then rough and urgent, and Ino wasn't sure if he was ever going to stop her.

When he finally pulled back she was surprise to find her breathe uneven. Their breath uneven. His eyes were black as he separate their bodies and put much needed space between. Ino doubted it was for her sake alone, but that could just be wishful thinking.

"Sorry," she sheepishly grinned when he gave her a look, "okay I'm not but still."

Gaara rolled onto to his heels before standing quickly, reaching down to pull her up before letting go to head towards the bed. It was late and he had a long day. Ino followed with unusual obedience, mostly because she had pushed the boundary enough for the day.

He had simply slipped off his shoes before slipping into bed, the routine familiar to Ino from their nights where he would come over and lay with her; sometimes even falling asleep for more than a few hours. She on the other hand, was not going to sleep in her clothing.

Heading towards his dresser, Ino randomly opened a door to find, luckily, plain shirts. Pulling one out, she turned back to toss it lightly on the bed and met curious eyes.

"I am not going to leave all wrinkly clothes tomorrow; I don't always want to encourage the old ninnys to gossip about me being harlot."

He blinked slowly at that before giving her a slightly disbelieving look.

"How polite."

Throwing the sock she had just removed at him, a missile he easily caught and threw back, Ino quickly changed into the black t-shirt she stole. It smelts of sun, dresser, and Gaara. It was a bit short leaving her legs looking long, bare, and decidedly unshaved but it was his and that made the ridiculously girl part her happy.

"No,not a harlot."

His lips had curled up in the smallish smile as she wiggled underneath the covers. He had moved down to match her position, making it so their noses were inches away. He smelt fresh and minty, giving her a moment to reflect that she probably smelt the opposite. Beer and other grossness, but the bathroom was far away and she was suddenly too tired to care. His fault if he wanted to be all snoozy while she stunk. It was crazy how sleepy she was now that Gaara had sensibly doused the passion.

Shikamaru and Chouji coming to her huh, Ino inwardly grinned as a hand reached for her waist to roll her around until her back was tucked up against his chest. It would be interesting and loud when they found out about her new situation with the man who was breathing quietly into her hair.

Despite what people thought, Ino was not always the loudest one and she wasn't always the one who started yelling first. Shikamaru had a mouth on him at times when he was truly pissed off, it just usually happened off mission and when nothing life threatening was happening. The guy was just wired that way, lazy lout to the rest of the world who didn't raise his voice for the life of him during a life or deaths moment, but the second something incredibly unimportant went wrong all hell broke loose.

Now his shouting wasn't like everybody else's; he didn't stomp or throw his hands up to the sky. He didn't get in your face or get extremely obnoxious, which was her usual tactic. No, Konoha's un-ambitious ninja would just let loose one extremely loud choice word and then stare at you until your feet started shifting and your palms sweating. When you were good and ready to run away, or in her case start to throw her own fit, he would lay out every wrong that had been in that one action. The entire lecture coming out in his normal, lazy ass voice; except with steel behind each word. So hard that it would give you concussion if you listened close enough.

She made it a habit to not.

"Sleep Ino."

Would he think this reckless and stupid? Will Chouji look at her with disappointment, leaving her feeling worse than anything Shikamaru could have done? Or would they not care at all? Her stomach twisted in knots until a hand moved to rest on her chest, where her heart was. It should have made her nervous, but instead it made her relax.

Gaara was there, and if there was one person who had determination and commitment to this, it was him. It was a reminder, she thought sleepily, he could feel her growing uneasy and put his hand there to remind that it wasn't just her anymore.

Reaching up, Ino fell asleep with her hand covering his; both protecting her heart.

…


End file.
